


I Want To Make A Change

by FueetasticDreamer



Category: BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: (slightly) OOC Kokoro, AU Himari, AU Lisa, AU Maya, AU Sayo, Action, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Retelling, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Robots & Androids, Angst, Avenger-centric, Bang Dream girls get good amounts of screen time as well, Bruce & Hulk Interaction, Bruce Banner Feels, Bruce Banner Needs a Hug, Bruce Banner-centric, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Conversations, Crossover, Drama, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Hoping things will pick up soon, Hulk Needs a Hug, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Torture, Kanon Matsubara needs a hug, Marina is also a good bro, Maya is evil, Minor Violence, Misaki Okusawa needs a hug, Multi, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, OOC Maya, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Protective Sayo Hikawa, Protective Tony Stark, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Reflection, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Some Bang Dream girls may be OOC, Somehow getting worse at tagging, Steve Rogers Is a Good Bro, Stress, Talking, Trauma, brief flashbacks, brief shock, how many more tags am I going to add here?, light psychological, scientist Himari, very slow paced
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:27:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23678359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FueetasticDreamer/pseuds/FueetasticDreamer
Summary: Bruce Banner wanted to be a helpful asset to the team, and make the world a better place with his work. He didn't want to be seen as a monster or used as a tool to keep an eye on. But, the stress has gotten to him, having to keep 'the other guy' in check has taken a toll on the guy. Even with the support of his closest allies, there was still the lingering fear of losing control of his sanity.Misaki Okusawa wanted more out of her life beside being a mascot for her stupid band. She's gotten more depressed with how things are recently going with her life, friends, and band, and isn't sure what she wants to do with herself. She's afraid of being a burden, blames herself for her past mistakes, and tries to keep her emotions in check for everyone else's sakes.Both of their worlds collide as unknown forces put them together. Two people, stuck between the new realms, must face their inner and outer demons and find a way to set things right and return to their worlds. They can't do it alone, but have to figure something out to protect themselves and the people close to them.
Relationships: Bruce Banner & Hulk, Bruce Banner & Tony Stark, Bruce Banner/Natasha Romanov, Hikawa Sayo/Imai Lisa, Hulk & Natasha Romanov, Matsubara Kanon/Okusawa Misaki, Okusawa Misaki & Tsurumaki Kokoro, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov, Yamato Maya/?
Comments: 8
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Right, so, I know I'm probably late to the party, but I still wanted to write a story around this after watching some of the movies. I thought up the ideas and wanted to write this down before I forget, cause I think some elements are quite fascinating to speculate and write about. Have I said 'write' enough times yet?
> 
> Ok, keep in mind, I've only seen the first two Avengers (Avengers and Age of Ultron) movies at the time I wrote this first chapter. I apologize if I get any details on any of the Marvel movies or characters wrong, the same goes for Bang Dream, even though I know more about that franchise. Any similarities resembling either franchise (outside of my prior knowledge) is a coincidence, I wrote this story for fun anyhow (although I consider myself not good at writing angst and drama).
> 
> This first chapter will (mainly) focus more on an alternate retelling of how certain events in Age Of Ultron play out, and [try to] establish some things for those who aren't familiar or remember much of Marvel's Avengers.

Explosions and destruction went on outside, factions of opposing sides taking the skies and ground, fought in the battle. The civilians were already escorted, so the team didn't have to worry about causing any intentional casualties. Each member of the group had a vital role to play in the grand scheme of things. Bruce Banner, was not one of them, at least, he didn't think he was. He was out in the sidelines, hiding behind a pillar from enemy fire, waiting for the coast to be clear.

Bruce wasn't out in the open in danger; he was out on a rescue mission. The leaders didn't initially let him go out on important missions like this; in fact, they probably didn't know he was out and about at all. But, something itched in the back of his mind, that couldn't sit still and let everyone else do all the hard work. Sure, S.H.I.E.L.D. put him under protection for obvious reasons, and he liked the idea of being safe, but what he hated, was doing nothing while his newly acquired friends could be in danger. It bothered him, to no end, but it also occurred to him that he might not be thinking straight, and the old him probably wouldn't imagine trying something so ridiculous.

Laser beams hit the ground as dirt and smoke rose from obscuring his vision, even with the glasses intact. Bruce held onto the pedestal for dear life and tried to keep in balance from the rumbling earthquakes. Once the area was free from enemies, he crouched down and ran to the other side of the building, trying not to get spotted by anyone. It'd suck regardless of which faction spotted him at a time like this; they probably would think he's just being a load or getting in the way. He wanted to be useful to his team, his comrades, outside of 'the other guy' that he's forced to summon in desperate measures.

Bruce hid behind some rubble and wreckage near an abandoned building and contemplated his next course of action. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked around for a secret passage; it had to be around here somewhere, he heard as much from some co-workers and saw the footage on the video feed. That's where he saw it, a light, a creak from the door, and sounds of grunts and cries. It had to be her. He gulped and walked closer to the door, his hand hovering over his pocket. He borrowed the gun from the authorities, but hopefully, they didn't mind, it was for a greater cause after all.

Natasha Romanov was one of the most elite and skilled assets to the team. Nobody could've believed the news when she got captured and wasn't heard from since. She was more than a spy, she also a teammate, a friend to the cour six. She meant a lot to Bruce, more than he'd admit, besides his team of Avengers, nobody else seemed to want to give him a chance or treat him as anything more than a menace or a tool for the job at hand. He felt the need to do something, anything, to repay her kindness and devotion in return, and to apologize for shunning her out a few days prior. He took deep breaths as the room downstairs grew quiet, and took steps down one by one.

As Bruce got closer to the bottom, he slowly reached for the gun in his pocket and pulled it out. He had never really used a firearm before, or trained in this specific method, but figured it could help in saving his friend. He had to do something after all. When he reached the bottom and turned a corner, he couldn't believe what he saw. Bloodied bodies of goons and robots all beaten to a pulp and scattered on the floor. His stomach turned as he covered his mouth, trying not to retch or freak out over the mess.

"Yeah, I got the reports and files right here." A familiar voice said. "It wasn't that hard, I had the situation under control." Bruce looked up and saw Natasha standing beside a dresser, with papers at her disposal, and a walkie talkie on the other hand. "I'll be right there, just give me another minute." She turned off the device and put the papers away. Natasha brushed the blood and dirt off her clothes and was about to head out, when she caught notice of Bruce standing there.

He sighed sadly, even though he was relieved she's alright. Should've known that she didn't need help and could handle the situation herself.

"Hey, how are you doing?"

"Bruce? What are you doing here?"

"I, uh, was planning on saving you and getting you out of here with this," Bruce replied, pointing at the gun. "But it looks like you got it all under control."

"Well, I appreciate the attempt and courtesy." Natasha smiled and gave him a light bump with her elbow. "Wait, where'd you get that?"

"Borrowed it from Shield?"

"And did you tell anyone that you went out?" Bruce shook his head in silence. "Alright, I'll have to report on this. But for now, let's get out of here."

"Right. Um, can we talk about something on the way? There's something I-"

"You can tell me after we get out of this mess and the mission is over."

Natasha and Bruce headed up the stairs with their weapons in tow, they pressed their backs against the walls and found more android soldiers approaching with bigger weapons in hand. Between a rock and a hard place, the duo had no choice but to run back and hide behind cargo. Footsteps clanked and beeping echoed down the halls as the lights pierced through the dark corridors. The soldiers drew their guns out and opened fire, Bruce covered his head while Natasha peeked her head out on occasion, waiting for an opening to attack.

There were small windows high up, there'd be no way to reach and fit through them at this rate. She didn't have many powerful tools in her utility belt without causing more destruction in the vicinity or be effective against the bad guys. Calling for backup would also take too long, and the others are in dire situations as well. Considering the many soldiers showing up and surrounding them, Natasha knew they couldn't fight all of them off at once. Unless...

"Hey, Banner," She spoke up, against the fire. "I hate to say it, but it looks like we're going to need some help on this!"

"Yeah, you're telling me!" He yelled back. "How are we supposed to-?" It took him a moment to figure out what she meant. "Oh no..."

"I can't see another way out of this. Think you could get the 'him' to come in and help us out? I know you don't like doing it, but..."

Bruce massaged his temples and shook his head. He didn't want to bring 'the other guy' out, it was reckless and hard to control. It's the reason he was forced to go out on the run and put in protection in the first place. However, Bruce also knew that they were both stuck in a rut and had no other options left. Before he could reply to her statement, an explosion occurred from outside the building, catching everyone off-guard. The ceiling broke apart as rubble fell, Natasha yelled out something that he couldn't hear, Bruce looked up and didn't have time to react before he blacked out.

.-.-.-.

The sun was setting in the horizons, it was getting real low, but he had no intention of turning back anytime soon. He had set the plane on autopilot and just stared out into the vast area in front of him. Aside from the roaring engines, the whole place was quiet and serene, almost felt peaceful. No communications or distractions, just time to think about whatever was on his mind and let everything sink in. Gamma radiation really did a number on his body and affect him in multiple ways, it wasn't often he had quiet moments to himself like this, without having to worry about any casualties, being near anyone, or taking out his frustrations on anybody either.

A beeping sound ran through his ears, he tried to ignore it at first, but it got louder, causing him to get more irritated. Then, some blinking lights appeared all over the area. What was going on? He checked the screen, said something about a malfunction in certain areas. Figures that the jet he'd steal wouldn't work as properly as intended. The rage built up inside him, he bashed the buttons and pulled some wires, hoping to fix the problem, someway, somehow. However, he only made things worse, he knew his hands were built to destroy, not fix or heal. Part of him hated that about himself. He braced himself for impact and prepared to make a leap of faith, as the plane headed toward the ground.

.-.-.-.

Everything went dark, there was nothing to do, amidst all the floating in the void. Bruce could only imagine how much destruction and chaos went going on outside, beyond his control, with no way of stopping it. He didn't want to imagine it, but those were the only thoughts that he could register at the moment. It happened every time something like this were to occur, and made him sick to the core. No matter how much he tried to fight it, the other guy would always win in the inner battles for control over the body, it was stronger and meaner, there was nothing he could do about it. Bruce had already accepted his fate at this point, why bother fighting it?

Wait, shouldn't the other guy have come back by now? How long had it been since he was in this state? Time froze while in his pool of nothing, so looking over at his watch wasn't an option. It gave Bruce time to ponder and think about his life decisions at this point at least. He didn't have to worry about eating or sleeping in the current state, but knew he'd have to worry about them when he got back, if he got back in his original form. Bruce got misty-eyed, why does it feel like it lasts longer the more it happens? If he didn't get it resolved, this fear tinged inside him, that he'll never return to the real world.

A light pierced through the darkness, catching Bruce's attention. A muffled voice rang out from beyond the horizon, it was faint, but he could pick it up. A familiar voice calling out his name.

"Can you hear me? Are you there?"

"...Nat?" Bruce looked around the area, squinting his eyes. "Is that you?" His muscles strained as he moved his body toward the source of the light. The lights above started fading as the room swayed back and forth.

**"No! No Banner!"**

"No? What are you doing?"

**"Stay away, don't go!"**

The room began to break apart, light and dark mixing up and becoming a distorted mess. Bruce tried to keep it together, but that proved to be harder than expected. He rubbed his head, the throbbing pain wouldn't stop now.

"Will you knock it off? Don't you think I've been in here long enough? Get me out of here!"

**"Never! Hulk stay Hulk!"**

"Stop being a baby and let me out!"

Despite the protests, Bruce continued to reach for the light and fight it off. Eventually, the shaking down, and his mind wandered and drifted elsewhere, body drifting.

.-.-.-.

The wind howled in his ears as it brushed against his skin, giving him goosebumps, and causing the strands of hair on his body to rise. He shivered lightly and tried to move his body. The grass crunched beneath him as he opened his eyes. Bruce looked around the area and found himself outside the building, in a forest of some kind, surrounded by trees in the night sky. He glanced and caught wind of the wrecked plane in the rive that 'the other guy' must've taken while in control. Bruce slowly got up and rubbed his head, sighing. How long had he been out for? It was nighttime, and the only sources of light came from the moon, and spotlights from- wait, spotlights? Buzzing rang in his ears, he noticed bright light from the corner of his eyes, and spotted silhouettes of vehicles moving towards him.

Panic rushed in as he instinctively ran the opposite direction. He didn't think it was possible that they had found him already, the government must've caught wind to what the 'other guy' had done, and are going to take him away. Away from his safe haven, away from everyone. Because he just woke up, stamina hadn't too kind to him, as he struggled to make much distance. His breathing became unsteady, as his mind was clouded with unpleasant thoughts, he couldn't hear the screams from behind him. Bruce grabbed the nearest tree trunk to prevent himself from tripping, his head snapped side to side, searching for a place to hide. The first thing he spotted was a cave and headed inside without thinking, his brain can't comprehend or think at the moment.

He hid behind a rock and hugged his knees to his chest. Regret immediately washed all over him as he found himself surrounded, the spotlight growing closer and larger. Bruce pulled his hair and clutched his chest, his heart was racing. He had to calm down and maintain the 'other guy', making sure it doesn't come out and cause more havoc than it's already done. He shut his eyes tight and grit his teeth, unsure of what to do now.

"We know you're in there!" A voice shouted.

"Stop, you'll freak him out!" Another voice thundered.

Bruce opened his eyes as his breathing slowed down. That voice sounded familiar. He turned around and slowly got out of his hiding spot, it was Natasha, along with a couple of other workers from S.H.I.E.L.D. He turned and saw her walking at a cautious pace until she reached the cave entrance and knelt down.

"Hey, big guy, the sun's getting rather low."

The sun has already set though. He thought, but hearing her say those words felt rather soothing.

"It's okay, we're not going to hurt you." She told him, extending her hand. "You're safe now."

He stared at the hand in silence, then slowly went out of his hiding spot to reach out for it. Everyone else looked away, he looked down and immediately went back into hiding, forgetting about the... other downsides to coming back.

_God damn it._

.-.-.-.

Bruce wore a fresh batch of clothes as the agents escorted him onto the jeep along with the others. He wrapped a blanket around his body as the vehicles drove off onto the fields. Natasha sat comfortably across and watched him cautiously, resting her hands on her knees. Maria Hill made a report, letting the higher-ups know they successfully found and retrieved Bruce. The rest of the ride had been in silence for a while, nobody knew what to say in that moment. Eventually, Bruce broke the silence and spoke up.

"Did I hurt anybody? Did we win?"

"Don't worry, you didn't hurt anyone, and we ended up winning the fight."

"Thank goodness." Bruce sighed and wiped his forehead.

"How are you feeling?"

"I honestly don't know. How did you find me?"

"It took us a while to track you down."

"Christ, it's been a while since we last saw each other, almost like yesterday."

"Yesterday? Um, try around... six months."

Time froze for him, he couldn't believe what he heard. "Are you kidding me?" _I've been stuck in there for that long? It felt like he was stuck in the back of a trunk while 'the other guy' took the wheel and drove off on a long road trip._ He buried his face in his hands and didn't say anything more. Natasha frowned and placed a hand on his knee, she didn't know what to say, but wanted to show her comfort and support in some way she knew how. She wiped her misty eyes as they were approaching the main base of operations.

.-.-.-.

Natasha escorted Bruce back inside the headquarters while the others went back to their stations. The duo were immediately met up with Nick Fury, the head honcho of S.H.I.E.L.D. who stood there, with his hands behind his back. Standing right beside him was another woman with long dark hair, but Bruce couldn't recognize her.

"I see you finally brought him back, excellent work." Nick told Natasha. When he turned to face Bruce, he had this look of relief and disapproval at the same time. "Now, tell me, Dr. Banner, what were you thinking, running off on your own and stealing our personal weapons?" Bruce lowered his head and didn't say anything in response. "You caused quite a stir amongst us, some of your teammates were concerned. What do you have to say for yourself?"

All he could mutter in response was, "...I'm sorry."

Nick sighed and turned. "We'll talk more about this tomorrow morning. For now, you're dismissed." He walked away, leaving the two behind.

"You know we were worried about you," Natasha told him. "There's no need to-"

"I know, but..." Bruce sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Sorry, I need to be alone for a while."

"I don't mind, have a good night."

"Yeah, you too..."

The two parted ways. It hadn't been that long, but he felt he could use something to drink to get rid of this throbbing headache.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, as I stated from the previous chapter, this one will establish things exclusively on the Bandori side. Unlike Avengers, what I establish for this side is a story not based on any other property or interpretation on certain canon events in the games. Meaning, I made up this story, it's not really canon, none of it is, but I hope I made my point clear.
> 
> Also, update: I saw Thor: Ragnarok and Civil War, so my knowledge on Marvel movies has grown... slightly now. Just wanted to let you know~

Hello Happy World, one of the most successful bands in all of Japan, popular with children and parents alike. One of the most reasons they're so famous is cause of their eccentric personalities and their adorable mascot, Michelle, the giant pink and black bear. Things hadn't been the same for the incident. Many years had passed, and the girls had grown up, each member moving on and hoping to pursue different careers. However, despite all that, the band leader, Kokoro Tsurumaki, still grew determined to continue her original goal, to make everyone in the whole world smile.

Kokoro gathered everyone over when they were available and decided to prepare for one last concert imaginable. The members performed on a circular platform at an amusement park and invited everyone they knew for their biggest show yet. Despite Misaki's protests, Kokoro wanted to go out on a bang and perform some death-defying stunts to wow the crowd. The others knew how agile and flexible their leader was, and this wouldn't be the first time she did something dangerous like this and got out unscathed. They always admired her courage and enthusiasm, as each of them believed it was one of her strongest points. Everyone that was, except for Misaki Okusawa. She didn't hate Kokoro, but sometimes, her optimism could get grating, especially considering that she was also unbelievably stupid and naive. Still, she didn't mind going through with her silly antics, even if it's just one more concert in a while.

The concert had been going well at first, performing a variety of songs, dances, and acts for the world to see. When they high up on a platform to do tricks, Kokoro finished it off by falling from a great height, expecting Michelle and the trampoline to catch her. Michelle's paws and footing slipped, Kokoro missed the trampoline and hit the ground hard, everyone gasped in shock. Kokoro was incredibly wealthy and had suitors at her beck and call; they were able to fund some and get the poor girl to the hospital to treat her injuries. Fortunately, she survived, but some of her wounds and scars were permanent, as it affected her brain in more ways than the other members could imagine. The suitors found that the only ways Kokoro could be saved was being implanted with technological wirings attached to her. She was stuck inside her mansion and couldn't move around all that much.

Misaki operated the mascot costume for Michelle and found herself responsible for what happened to her on that day. Hello Happy World hadn't done another show since, as each of the girls went on their separate ways. Hagumi and Kaoru were busy with their time spent on doing part-time activities, like baseball and theater respectively. Kanon continued working at the fast-food joint to earn a little extra money. As for Misaki, she was still searching for a decent job to take part in and has relegated herself inside her room without any employment.

Misaki relaxed in her bedroom, reading a book she borrowed from the library and eating snacks in her leisure. Her phone went off, and she went to check on it, only to find Kanon Matsubara contacting her. Kanon meant the world to her; she was one of the reasons Misaki got far in the band in the first place. Oh, right, the band broke up. Misaki didn't want to keep thinking about it, but she couldn't help herself. She buried her face in the pillow and sighed out loud, letting the phone continue to ring. Eventually, she raised her head, moved the pillow back behind her head, and put the phone on her ear to answer the call.

"Hello?"

"Ah, Misaki-chan, hello there." Kanon greeted from the otherwise. "Um, did I call at a bad time?"

"Huh? No, no, not at all." Misaki stared at the ceiling and rubbed her head. "What's up?"

"Well, it's been a while, I was wondering if you'd like to go somewhere today. But, if you already have plans..."

"I can go, I don't have anything better to do anyway." Misaki sat upright on her bed and stared out at the window. To her surprise, Kanon stood by the entrance of her house, almost like she waited for her. "H-Hey, give me a minute, at least!" She cried out, fumbling out of her bed and closing the blinds.

She sighed with a hopeful smile. It couldn't have been easy for Kanon to get here all on her own, especially considering that she's abysmal with directions. Misaki couldn't have imagined how long it took for her to get here safe and sound but appreciated the effort nonetheless.

.-.-.-.

Kanon waited outside the front door for her friend to come out. She felt positive and accomplished, having found the directions to her home and making it in a decent hour. Sure, she got lost one time on the way there, but it was better than most attempts at going to any destination. Kanon had this sense of accomplishment, she wantedd to make sure she got here before calling Misaki and not risk giving her false hope. Better to be safe than sorry.

As Kanon waited, however, she couldn't but overhear muffling from her door. It almost sounded like Misaki arguing with someone, but she couldn't make out the other two voices from the otherwise. Kanon twiddled her fingers, she didn't know what to do or how to get out of the bad situation. Pretty soon, Misaki exited the house and slammed the door shut, storming off in a huff. It wasn't until she spotted Kanon standing there, when she calmed down and looked away.

"Oh, hey, sorry you had to witness that..."

"No, it's alright." It wasn't her business, so she wasn't going to bother asking what that was all about. "Um, shall we get going?"

"Yeah, let's get out of here."

.-.-.-.

They took a stroll around downtown where there weren't too many people abound. Misaki held Kanon's hand tight as they walked around. She figured it was the least she could do, and so they don't end up losing each other along the way to their destination. The sun radiated off their heads as they went under some shade from a canopy. They drank from the drink stand and sighed contentedly, looking at the somewhat busy streets.

The soft breeze and drink cooled them down exponentially, as they felt the need to catch up on some things. The two exchanged pleasantries as they caught up on how their lives have been since that fateful day.

"It's been a while since we last talked." Kanon tried her best not to open any wounds when talking to her friends, especially with Misaki. "How have you been?"

"Uh..." Misaki stuttered, unsure of what to say. "Doing pretty good, I'd say. Things are doing a-okay where I'm at." She should, shouldn't she? The old her would've taken every opportunity to leave, especially ditch those three dumb band members. But, why did she still feel a part of herself... lost?

_Misaki-chan. Why do I feel like you're lying?_ "That's great to hear. I'm glad you're able to turn your life around."

"Eh? What do you mean by that?"

"Fuee," Kanon cried, flustered. "Sorry, forget I said anything there!"

"No, it's alright. I'm actually pretty glad; you haven't changed a bit. It's great to see familiar faces that aren't... you know..."

Before Kanon could say anything in response, Misaki spotted something from the corner of her eye: a torn poster in the trash can. She also noticed a poster for a different band performing live in a couple of days. Her heart nearly stopped as she took a step back and clutched her chest. Misaki thought she had those awful memories suppressed, but flashbacks to that one concert came flooding back. She tried to steady her breathing, making sure she doesn't cause a scene in front of everyone.

"M-Misaki-chan!" Kanon exclaimed, rushing to her aid. "It's ok, calm down." She placed a hand on her shoulder and rubbed her back.

"I... I..." Misaki sat down on the bench and buried her face with her hands. "Sorry you saw me like that."

"Misaki-chan, what happened six months ago, wasn't your fault."

"You're wrong."

"Kokoro-chan isn't mad at-"

"She's not here because of what I did! Don't you get it? We'd still be together as a band if only I didn't mess it all up!" Kanon stayed silent as she looked away, tears welling in her eyes. Misaki's heart sank as she bit her lip. "I'm sorry, I went too far."

Kanon shook her head. "I was insensitive there. Do you want to go somewhere else?"

"Yeah, I'd like to change the subject, please. Why don't you pick our destination?"

"Alright."

.-.-.-.

Misaki followed Kanon to a local aquarium; they headed downstairs to examine the indoors and look at the creatures that inhabit the waters. The glass behind the door showed off an ominous glow as jellyfish swam around from behind them. Misaki stared at the ocean in awe, amazed by its beauty, wishing she could touch and go inside the water and let herself fall... wait, why did she think about this? Was she that far gone that she's thinking of such things?

Misaki wanted to desperately ask Kanon if she still keeps in touch with the other members. But, seeing Kanon's blissful expression, placing her hand on the glass, made her reconsider, and decided to hold the information, not wanting to ruin the moment. She did want to drop the subject after all.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Kanon asked, snapping her friend out of her thoughts. "Sometimes, I like to take my mind off of things and let myself be free." She took a step back and turned to Misaki. "It's who I am, and I feel like I've grown a lot because of all of you. So, please don't take it so personally, what you did back then."

"Eh? But I didn't say anything."

"Sorry, I had a feeling it was written on your face."

Misaki gave out a sad chuckle. "It's alright. I guess in a way, you're right? I'm not sure if I've grown all that much, though."

"I think you have; you're braver than you think."

Misaki's went light red. Kanon's eyes glowed purple against the shades of blue in the back, as her flowing blue hair moved with the waves of the ocean. She looked so...

"Um, thanks." Misaki crossed her arms and looked away. _Man, this is embarrassing. I don't even know what to say. I just wish I could be there for her, like what she's doing for me._

Kanon stared back at the glass, wondering when things would go back to the way they were before, if possible. She knew things won't last forever, but she didn't want her friends to stay like this forever, though.

Soon, more time had passed; Kanon looked at her watch and noticed how late it got. As she walked out of the halls, Misaki went over and grabbed her arm, stopping the blue-haired girl in her tracks. "Um, do you mind if we kept walking around town? I don't feel like going home just yet."

"Ah, I don't mind at all," Kanon replied. "It's been a while since we last saw each other after all."

.-.-.-.

The Tsurumaki mansion used to be full of life and energy, Kokoro ran the place after all, in spite of her young age. Now, it was nothing but a dreary and dark location. No laughter, no bright lights to illuminate the rooms, no banter or mischief. Just empty silence. Her maids, cooks, even servants treated her with dignity and respect. They never left her side and never said no to any of her requests, no matter how outlandish they appeared on the surface, they would always get it done. Now, however, without given many orders from Tsurumaki herself, they were left with practically little or nothing to do each day, but watch the mansion and her health. One of the suitors, wearing a black and white suit, took the tray containing soup and milk and headed upstairs. The other maids and suitors took to cleaning the place to make sure it was in tip-top shape.

She trudged up the creaky steps until reaching a large door. The door creaked open, as she stepped inside the room with caution. Trash, crumbled papers, and broken items scattered around the room. In the middle of the room, Kokoro hovered over the dirty bed, as wires attached to her back lifted her in the air, her eyes fixated on a static TV playing a movie. The suitor carefully placed the tray on the countertop and slowly backed away from it.

"Someone there?" Kokoro spoke softly, catching her off-guard.

"Um, Miss Kokoro?" The suit lady inquired. "Are you doing alright?" She walked closer to her. "You know you shouldn't stay too close to the TV."

"Can you come here?" Kokoro asked, without looking away from the screen. "Why does this happen on the screen? All the violence, anger, and destruction."

"I'm not sure what you mean. Are you not enjoying the movie?"

"I didn't say that, but is this what makes people happy? Is it movies like this? Even though everyone on the screen looks so angry and sad?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know how to answer that. I guess it varies from person to person?"

"It's ok, sorry to bother you."

"N-Not at all miss." The suitor bowed. "Please excuse me." She left just as quickly as she came.

Kokoro sighed, her spark and color in her body and soul lost, unsure what to do with her life, with how badly things have been. Just then, the TV went into full static, her eyes widened, caught off-guard by this.

_Huh? That's new, is that part of the movie? Is it an interactive experience? It almost sounds... exciting. I haven't had one of those in a while._

Pretty soon, a figure behind the shadows appeared from behind the screen.

"Maybe I can answer that?" A female voice echoed in the room. "Hello there, you seem to be lost."

"Who are you?" Kokoro's head tilted slightly as she struggled to move her arms toward the television. "How'd you do that? A magic trick?"

The person laughed. "I consider it more of science doing this. Believe me, it took me a while to get this working and to find someone like you." The figure cleared her throat. "You seem to be lost Tsurumaki-san."

"Oh? How do you know my name? Are you by chance a wizard?"

"Well, not... I guess you could say that? Anyways, I need some help, and you're the only person who can do it."

"Really? What do you need my help for Miss wizard?"

"It's a long story, but trust me, it'll make a lot of people in the world I'm in very happy."

_Very happy? As in, they'll be_ smiling? "Say no more, I'll do it!"

"Superb, I knew you were the right one for the job, you're a lifesaver! Thank you Tsurumaki-san!"

"It's too soon to be thanking me, when do we start?"

"How about right now, unless you have other plans?"

"Nope, I got you covered." Kokoro tried to turn toward the entrance to her room, her voice was still scratchy and sore, so it didn't come out as well as she would've liked. "Hey you guys, I need your help with something...!"

_Oh yes, a lifesaver indeed._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully, that'll be the last I establish and over-explain things for a while. I wanted to make certain elements clear for those who are new to one side and are familiar with the other side of the crossover. I hope I did a good job on that and you guys aren't lost in the storytelling so far.
> 
> Now then, hopefully (Have I said 'hope' enough times yet?) things can pick up from here...


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so from here on out, the two sections from each crossover will go back and forth. One side won't be dedicated as a single chapter basically. Apologies, I'm bad at explaining things. Hopefully, you understood what I meant by that.

Morning couldn't come fast enough. Bruce rested on the couch by the fireplace with a cup of coffee in his hands. He couldn't get much sleep due to the nightmares that plagued his mind. He hoped to relax his mind from all the troubles and get to his happy place. Happy place. He stared at the fire as his eyes slowly drifted. Bruce's mind snapped back, his heart pounded, fearing that the 'other guy' will come back if he closed his eyes again.

His vision grew blurry by the second; a figure walked over with a cup of coffee in her hands, staring out at the windows. Was it morning or evening still? He couldn't tell how long it had been. She turned, noticing he was awake and gave him a sad smile.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." She said politely.

"It's fine, I couldn't get to sleep anyway," Bruce replied, rubbing his eyes. He paused and stared up at her. "Wait, who are you?"

"Ah, that's right, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Marina, the newest recruit for S.H.I.E.L.D."

"But, I could've sworn we already have someone named..."

Marina laughed. "No, silly, Mari _na_. Tsukishima Marina. I'm not replacing Maria Hill or anything like that." She had a cup of coffee in her hands and blew on it a couple of times before drinking it. "Want to tell me more about yourself? Would you also like something to drink by chance?"

"No thanks, I'm not in the mood to talk."

"Oh, I see. Well, if you change your mind, I'm all ears." Her face lit up as she cleared her throat. "Actually, while I have you, since you're awake and all, could you come downstairs for a second?"

Bruce massaged his temples, already knowing where this was going. "Let me guess, Nick Fury wants to discuss my track record for what I did the past couple of months?" Marina nodded; he sighed and pulled the blanket away. "I know where he is, you don't need to lead me there."

"Actually, I do. He's not at the usual spot today. He also wanted to talk to you as soon as possible before you got too comfy at the lab."

 _Seriously?_ "Fine." He slowly got up from his seat. "Can I at least change my clothes?"

"Of course, let me know when you're ready to go. The sooner, the better."

Bruce showered and got dressed first thing in the morning, he grabbed a granola bar to snack on and followed Marina down the hall toward the elevator. Along the way, the duo also meet up with Natasha, along with Steve Rogers, another one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s finest assets. The four entered the elevator as the doors closed and it made its slow descent.

"Hey, look who it is!" Steve noticed and walked over to pat him on the back. "Good to see you again!"

"Hi guys," Bruce greeted back. "Sorry I got you worried."

"Don't sweat it, we knew you'd be back."

"Cap didn't think you'd come back," Natasha remarked, her back leaning against the wall of the elevator. "Or at least, _want_ to come back."

"Hey, that's not true, I hoped he'd be ok."

Steve leaned over to whisper to Bruce. "Don't worry, we were all worried about you, especially Nat over there."

"You know I can hear you," Natasha called out, "You're bad at whispering."

"But you didn't deny it." Steve pointed out.

"It's normal to worry about the safety of your friends and acquaintances."

"Thank you for the concern," Bruce gave them a soft smile. "and thanks for rescuing me out there Natasha, I appreciate it. I... didn't get the chance to tell you last night."

"It's... it's not a problem." Natasha turned away and muttered, but she also had a smile on her face.

Bruce couldn't help but chuckle lightly. He missed this feeling of staying in a safe haven, a place he could call home. He missed having (or at least listening to) these nice chats between his friends at work. He'll definitely miss working in the comfort of his lab, but first, he has to get the meeting over and done with.

"So, did I miss anything?" He asked the two, hoping to continue steering clear from that lingering thought in his mind.

"Well, Clint's retired to be with his family, and Thor went back to his home planet," Natasha explained.

"Not to mention you also missed Tony's birthday party last month." Steve added.

"Steve also missed the party, so don't let it get to you." Natasha teased as she walked over and nudged Bruce with her elbow.

"I had an important mission to take care of." Steve defended. "He just picked a bad time to throw that party."

"Well, now you two can make it up to your boyfriend."

"You know he's not my boyfriend."

"Hmm, could've fooled me."

Marina giggled, listening intensively to their conversation. "You guys seem to get along well."

"Ah, have you and Bruce already met?" Steve inquired.

"Yeah." Bruce reluctantly muttered. "I take it you guys know each other already?" The other three nodded.

The elevator soon came to a stop, and the doors slowly open.

"I'd hate to interrupt the pleasant chat, but we have somewhere to be," Marina advised them.

"That's fine," Natasha replied. "We have a mission to take care of anyway. Did you have a good sleep last night?"

Bruce didn't know what to say, but he didn't have much time to answer. He opened his mouth, but Marina answered for him. "He hadn't, but was hoping to get some sleep later tonight." Bruce turned to give her a short glare. "Ah, sorry about that."

"Well, we'll see you later. Hope you feel better." Steve and Natasha waved and walked off.

"Thanks, good luck on your mission," Bruce replied. His smile faded as he walked the opposite direction along with Marina. Hopefully, he can get the day over with as soon as possible.

.-.-.-.

Back in the Tsurumaki mansion, somewhere in a more secretive area, the suitors helped Kokoro get materials for their next big 'project'. The shadowy figure instructed some orders for Kokoro to relay to her servants as they worked together and get to building. For the first time, in a long time, small twinkles shined in Kokoro's eyes as she anticipates what's happening before her very eyes. She speculated and pondered over what the special surprise could be, since the mysterious figure wouldn't tell her yet.

Normally, it'd take months to prepare for what they had in mind, but with how shockingly talented the suitors were, they managed to get it done in more than half the time. Kokoro tilted her head to the side as she examined what was in front of her: A giant circular device, with colorful lights attached to the sides, one that looked like you could walk right in and come out on the side somewhere else.

"Whoa, you made this in such a short amount of time. I got to say, I'm impressed!" They chirped.

"Hey, what does this thing do? And have to do with our plan to make all the world's smile?" Kokoro inquired.

"Well, this machine can create us a portal, which in turn, should bring you over to the world I currently inhabit."

"That's so cool, and you say your world is filled with unhappy people?"

"That's correct." They lowered their posture. "I have some plans on what we can do once I get you over here. Your optimism is exactly what we need in these trying times."

Kokoro couldn't help but hum a tune. Meanwhile, the suitors exchanged worried glances at one another as they took a small break.

"Ohh, I can't wait to go! I should tell all of my friends about this!"

"Ah! Now hold on Tsurumaki-san, why don't we test this out to see if it works first?"

"Ah, that's right, we got to make sure it doesn't blow up in our faces. Even though I'm more than confident that it'll work."

"Better to be safe than sorry..."

The suitors advised for Kokoro to stay where she was as they began working on the coordinates and operating the parts. Some of the suitors stood behind the control panels to operate and try to activate the device. A while after setting the coordinates, the device whirred and shook the room they stood in, everyone but Kokoro had to balance themselves to keep from falling. The lights turned on, as a small portal appeared right before them.

"Wizard, it worked!"

Wait, something isn't right here.

"Why don't we head in right now?"

"Uh, hold on-"

Kokoro couldn't move very far due to her poor posture and body, and nearly fell to the ground in a tumble. Luckily, her suitors managed to catch her before she took a nasty fall. Another servant hurried and threw in a different object, an apple, in her place toward the portal. To their surprise, the apple looked like it phased through the portal, almost like it wasn't there at all. Kokoro crawled over and examined the portal from the floor, she extended her reach and phased through the portal no sweat.

"Whoa, I've never seen a portal like this before."

"That wasn't supposed to happen." The figure scratched their chin and sighed. "I think I have some ideas on how it went wrong."

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"It's hard to explain, but you don't need to worry about it. I'll see if I can get it done on my end."

"I see, is there anything I can do?"

"No, this is something I need to do on my own. I had no idea you'd finish so quickly." They paused. "Actually, I have an idea on what you can do instead."

"You do?"

"Yeah, I was going to suggest this later, but now seems like a good time to bring it up. Listen carefully."

.-.-.-.

The morning lecture wasn't fun, not at all. At least Bruce didn't have to worry about it anymore. He walked alone down the hall, hoping to finally have some peace at the place he's most familiar with. That was when he got approached by Tony Stark; he nearly bumped into him on the way to the lab.

"Hey Banner, long time no see." Tony greeted him, shaking his hand. "How are you doing? It's been a while."

"Hey Tony, I'm doing alright," Bruce replied sheepishly. "Happy late birthday, by the way. I'm sorry I missed your party."

"So, Cap told you, huh? Well, you had no idea about the party, and he did."

"He had an important mission to take care of, though."

"Sure, but he could've at least stopped by for a visit. I may or may not be a little salty that he didn't even get me a present, or a card. Don't worry, though; I don't hold a grudge against you." He patted his shoulder and gave him a wink.

"Thanks, Tony, I appreciate it."

"Say, Bruce, where you heading? Do you have some time?"

"Oh, well, I was going to go to the lab and-"

"That's perfect, I'm going to need your help with something, and you're the only one that can do it."

"You don't want me to build another...?"

"No, no, this is different. I need to test something real quick."

"You sure you don't need 'him' to help you?"

"Well, you're half-right, but half-wrong, I need both of you."

"Tony, I don't have time for this. I'd like to spend at least a day without having the other guy come out."

"I see this more as emergency protocols, in case something like what happened months ago happens again."

Bruce let out a hefty sigh. "Alright, this better be worth my time."

.-.-.-.

Bruce and Tony went into the training room near one of the labs and operated on a giant fighting robot machine. Tony explained that he needed his brains to tweak out some finishing touches for the robot, and his 'other side' for helping to test out the fighting capabilities.

"What is this?" Bruce asked, staring up at the behemoth.

"Behold, the new and improved Hulk Buster," Tony explained to him. "I'm trying to tweak out the improvements after the last battle I had with your..." He waved his hand, trying to think of the right words to say here. "'friend.'"

Bruce wore a fake smile, trying to calm down. "Yeah, ok. So, you need the Hulk to help test its fighting capabilities?"

"Well, yes and no. I also could use your help with working on the finishing touches."

"Tony, you know how I am with machines. Do you remember the last time-?"

"I know, but you got to trust me. We've gotten through hell and back in the past, and we can't be certain dire situations like what happened that one time could occur again. I don't want to take the risk."

Bruce bit his lip and nodded in understanding, knowing that he was looking out for him, worst-case scenario. Still, he didn't want to lose control of himself again, not like the last time.

"Alright, let's see what we got."

The two spent their hours fixing up and checking out the functionality of the Hulk Buster 2.0.

"So, what do you say we get started?"

Bruce slumped his shoulders and sighed. He really didn't want to do this, especially considering he just got out of this state not too long ago. But, this could be beneficial, in case he can't regain control and Natasha isn't around to calm him down and turn him back to normal.

He removed his glasses and placed them in his pocket before dusting himself off. "...Ok, give me a second."

Bruce inhaled and exhaled and closed his eyes. This shouldn't be a problem, he's always angry, that was one of his secrets after all, he just needed that extra push to get Hulk out. His body turned a light green for a split second and then... nothing. He opened his eyes to find a baffled Tony, staring him in the face.

"Did something happen? Because I don't see any green guy standing in front of me."

"What? You mean it didn't work?"

"Yeah, I don't think you're going to stand a chance against the Hulkbuster by yourself. You're more than welcome to try though. Oh, but could you let me get some popcorn first?"

"No, I don't understand, how is it he's not coming out?" Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose. When I actually want him out too...

**"Screw you..."**

"What?"

"Oh, did you not hear what I said?" Tony asked.

"No, I think Hulk swore," Bruce replied with uncertainty.

"Really? I didn't see him as that kind of guy. So, tell me, who does he swear by?"

"You know that wasn't what I meant. Sometimes your sarcasm hurts."

"Hey, maybe we can get Hulk out by irritating you more."

"I'm not in the mood for this crap."

**"Hulk mad at puny Banner!"**

"What? Why? Because I wanted to take back control of my body, after what you did to me for the past year and a half?" Bruce complained. "Do you realize how much I missed because of you and your actions?"

**"Don't care, not coming out!"**

"If anything, I should be mad at you. In fact, I still am!"

A light knock interrupted the duo, they turned to find Marina peeking from the other side of the glass door.

"Ah, Tony, there you are. Can I come in?"

"Hey, of course," Tony replied.

He unlocked the door as she entered the room. "Do you have a minute?"

"Yeah, what's up? You need something from me?"

Marina nodded. "Can you come with me for a moment? There's something we need to discuss."

"Sure thing, give me a minute."

"Wait, you know her?" Bruce inquired.

"Yeah, she's been working with us for quite a while now," Tony replied. "Oh yeah, you weren't here for that. Have you met?"

"Yeah, we have."

"It's nice to see you again Bruce. Hope you don't mind if I borrow your friend for a little bit." Marina told him.

"Not at all," Bruce replied.

Tony followed Marina outside, leaving the scientist/doctor alone to recollect his thoughts on what happened earlier. Bruce paced the room and massaged his temples, he thought he sorted everything out with the Hulk. Why was he being so stubborn? Hulk normally would take over his body on a whim, even without his permission to protect it and fight back. There had to be a reason for deciding to keep control for this long. Bruce sat down and tapped his chin, something about this didn't seem right. He deduced that, maybe, just maybe, Hulk was waiting for the right moment to strike and take over permanently.

.-.-.-.

Bruce had a difficult time sleeping that night as he tossed and turned in bed. Nightmares plagued his mind filled with past events and people despising and fearing him. So much destruction and chaos he was forced to bear witness. Well, even if it was his imagination, he could only imagine how terrible the damage was that he and his creation had caused. Bruce couldn't move his body, as he found himself frozen in place. Soon, a shadow loomed over behind him, his heart pounded fast, prompting him to turn. Giant green hands loomed over his neck and were raised in the air, hands formed into fists. He watched as they came crashing down.

Bruce shot up wide awake in a cold sweat. He rubbed his forehead and clutched his chest tight. It kept getting worse, the nightmares, the lingering fear in the back of his mind, that he might lose his body and soul because of this monster. Still in the void, with no one to talk to, nothing to do or interact, all because of the creation he made, trying to improve himself and the world around him. He stared at his hands and sighed. This has to end, running away and hiding from others, constantly living in fear, it needs to stop. Bruce got out of his bed, put slippers and a robe on, and headed over to the lab.

He spent the next couple of days working on technology and machines, testing out certain equipment, and using tools and items from the base of operations. Bruce knew how risky testing this stuff on his body was, but he had to take the risk. He couldn't take this awful feeling anymore, and hoped the others would understand, why he wouldn't come out of his workplace for quite a while.

.-.-.-.

The moon shone brightly in the sky, despite it not being fully nighttime yet. Misaki and Kanon couldn't believe how late it got, they lost track of time. Both of them had a bad feeling that their parents would be worried sick. Kanon had already told her parents ahead of time that she'd be out late, but had her friend with her, so she'd be ok. Misaki hadn't heard anything from her parents yet. Then again, she also didn't bother to look at her phone since. The two took a stroll to the park, the lights shone on the lampposts as the decorations on the trees and archways also shined brightly, illuminating the area around them.

They had stopped by Hagumi's croquettes shop earlier, wanting to check up on her after so long. Neither of them could find Kaoru anywhere, as she left for home already. Hagumi had a heart-to-heart moment with Kanon and asked if she heard anything from Kokoro or not. Both parties were afraid of bringing up the memories, especially with Misaki around to potentially listen in. After some more plesantries, Kanon and Misaki left with their croquettes (fresh on the house) and wished Hagumi the best of luck.

Misaki and Kanon sat on the bench and sighed, biting down on their piping hot croquettes. Smoke pouring out of the delectable food as they stared up at the starry night sky. Misaki glanced down and realized she had been holding Kanon's hand this whole endeavor. Her face flushed red as she quickly let go and continued to bite down on her snack. It was to make sure she wouldn't get lost, so why was she feeling hotter than the croquette right now? Misaki took a bite into the food, only to spit it back out and yell. Kanon turned to her as she blinked, caught off-guard.

"Uh, you alright Misaki-chan?" Kanon asked. "Is the croquette that hot?"

"Yeah, I should've blown on it a bit more." Misaki chuckled sadly. Her phone went off in her pocket, prompting her to groan. "I don't have time for this..." She muttered.

"Your parents must be worried about you. I know it must hurt, but I think you should answer it." "I guess you're right." Then, Kanon's phone went off as well, much to her confusion. "Fuee?"

"Looks like your parents are worried about you as well. Can't say I blame them."

"You're right, let's check at the same time then." The duo pulled out their phones and checked the message on the screen. When doing so, however, their eyes widened, and their mouths gaped. Time seemed to freeze around them as Misaki stared at the incoming call message. Bad memories began to flood back into her brain, her hands shook, nearly dropping the object.

"N-No way..." Kanon whispered, her lip quivering.

"K-Kokoro..." Misaki's hands gripped tighter around the device as she implanted the name into her head. _What the hell could she want? Why would she still call me? After everything, I've done?_ Her thumb hovered over the button until eventually, she quickly tapped the button to see the message. Kanon did the same thing.

Kokoro: "Hello everyone! It's been so long since I've seen you guys, did something happen? I know you're all rather busy like you say, but I haven't heard from you since. I've been doing great myself, in fact, I have a super special surprise to show all of you, and I'd love for you to come to my place! It's a secret, so you'll have to show up before I tell you~"

Misaki hands sweat as her eyes were glued to the message on the screen. Her heart bounced around in her ribcage, she thought she was going to have a heart attack.

"Misaki-chan, are you okay?" Kanon walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. "If you don't want to approach her, we can just call it off. I understand that-"

"No, I'll go." Misaki interrupted. She inhaled and exhaled to calm herself down. "I need to get over my fear sooner or later. I can't keep running away from it." She lowered her head and bit her lip. "I know this may be selfish of me, but..."

Kanon grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "I know I can't help much, but I want to be there for you like you have for me." She told her. "I'm here for you. I want to see Kokoro-chan well, just as much as you. So, let's go together."

 _Kanon-san, you have no idea how stronger and better you are than me._ Misaki tried her best to keep it together and not cause a scene in front of her. "Kanon-san thank you..." Misaki wiped her misty eyes. "But, what do we do about...?"

"Why don't we call our parents and let them know we're staying over via sleepover, just like that one time?" Kanon suggested.

"Oh man, that sure brings back memories." Misaki chuckled lightly, her smile faded, remembering those days made it all the more bittersweet.

"Ah, I'm sorry I brought it up."

"No, it's okay, that's a good idea actually."

.-.-.-.

Kanon and Misaki held hands tightly as they made their way to Kokoro's mansion. Once they got there, the suitors immediately greeted them and led them upstairs, one step at a time. Kanon and Misaki could feel the intensity lingering in the air, as the area felt larger and more lifeless than ever before. Soon, the group entered the room, the place was mostly dark, with only a couple of computer screens and light bulbs dimly illuminating the room. Kokoro turned and stared at the duo with her glassy and soul-sucking yellow eyes.

"Ah, hello there Misaki, Kanon, it's great to see you again!" Kokoro chirped, her body flailing. "Please, come on in!"

The suitors closed the door behind them and stood there, as Misaki and Kanon trudged over with caution. Kanon twiddled her fingers as Misaki squeezed her arm and pulled her hat down. Kokoro lowered herself to meet them face to face.

"So, I take it Hagumi and Kaoru couldn't make it?" Kokoro continued.

"Uh, no," Kanon muttered, knowing her friend wouldn't want to answer. "They were busy today."

"I see, that's too bad. At least you're here, so I can show you ahead of time!"

"Eh? Show us what?"

"See for yourselves!" Kokoro pointed upwards.

Above them, aligned lines of large androids with piercing eyes on moving belts, as mechanics operated on each of them, one by one. Misaki couldn't put her finger on it, but they looked rather similar somehow.

 _Wait, is that Michelle?_ The bad memories came flooding back, it had been so long since she wore that costume, she had forgotten that feeling of wearing and dancing inside it. And now, there she is, staring directly at her, almost as if it was taunting her for her past mistakes. Misaki clutched her head, she thought she could get over her trauma by coming here, but it ended up having the opposite effect. Why was that?

Before Kanon could say anything, Kokoro spoke up. "Do you like it? We made these ourselves, in honor of our dear friend."

"Why?" Misaki asked, tears forming around her eyes. "Why would you do this? What happened to you?"

"Eh? I don't see what you mean, we're doing this to make people smile. Can you imagine how excited everyone would be if they saw us piloting these? It'll be like we came out of a movie!"

 _Still intent on making the world smile, huh?_ "Wait, doesn't this seem a bit much?" Kanon inquired, her body still shaking. "I mean, what do you mean by that?"

"It's just as it sounds." A figure projecting off a tv monitor spoke up, catching the two off guard. "You'll be like superheroes, making people happy by piloting these." They mentioned as some of the hatches for the bear robots opened up.

"Fuee? W-Who are you?"

"I can't say I'm afraid. I've heard quite a bit about you two, Matsubara-san, Okusawa-san."

Misaki looked up and stared at the projection. "How do you know our names?"

"Tsurumaki-san has told me about you. I need your guys' help with something. If you could please cooperate and get in these, that would be a tremendous help. We need to test something real quick."

Kanon twiddled her fingers and looked around the room. There didn't seem to be many options for leaving, seeing as the suitors had blocked the door. Misaki stood up and planted her feet on the ground. Even though seeing Kokoro in this state terrified her, there was no way she was taking orders from someone she doesn't know about and was being cryptic as hell.

"Why should we trust you?" Misaki inquired. "How... do we know your intentions are as pure as Kokoro's?"

"Please, try to understand. I just want to make the world I'm in a better place. I heard your band has that power to do that."

"And what makes you think these _things_ will accomplish that?"

"Misaki-chan, please calm down." Kanon insisted. "I'm sure we can-"

"No!" Misaki thundered, clawing at her hair. "I don't know what this person's deal is, but I don't care either! I'm not going in there, I don't want to!" Misaki was about to storm out, when the servants blocked her exit. "Hey, what do you think you're doing?"

"I'm sorry, but... we can't back down on Kokoro-sama's words." They walked closer and surrounded Misaki and Kanon, both of them stepped back and huddle together.

Kokoro tilted her head and blinked, obliviously watching the scene unfold. "Huh? What's going on? Why do they not want to join us?"

The figure shook their head. "I don't know, it seems like we'll need to convince them some more and _persuade_ the two." They grinned. "Why don't we start with Matsubara-san?"

The suitors go over to reluctantly grab Kanon, who started to cry.

"No, don't take her!" Misaki shouted.

"I-I'll be fine, Misaki-chan." Kanon tried to assure her, but she stammered. Tears fell from her face, as she was being taken away. "Please... don't worry about me."

Misaki fell to the ground, extending her trembling hand. _No, I don't want her to suffer because of me and my actions. I don't want anyone else to suffer because of what I did!_ She grit her teeth and glared right at Kokoro and the person behind the screen. "Wait!" Misaki shouted, fighting back her tears. "Take me instead, I'll do it!"

The room fell silent as her booming voice echoed throughout the room. The suitors let go of Kanon as she ran over to her side.

"Misaki-chan, what are you thinking?"

"It'll be fine, I've been in a Michelle suit before." Misaki tried to assure her with a weak smile. "You get out of here and call for help."

Misaki trudged over to where Kokoro was and looked up at the robot. Her palms sweat as she tried to control her breathing. There was no turning back now.

"Misaki, I'm so glad you decided to join us!" Kokoro's voice sent chills down her spine.

It still had a sense of optimism, but it wasn't the same tone and voice that she was used to. That incident really did a number on the poor girl, and she's still retained her optimism, even if it got twisted along the way and she actively chose to forget about it. Hey, she's moving on a hell of a lot better than her, at least, Misaki thought so anyways.

"I can't wait to go back to what we've done before." Kokoro continued. "Hagumi, Kaoru, and even Michelle will be stoked when they find out."

"Yeah, they sure will..." Misaki smiled, but her soul was dead inside. It was almost like she was slowly starting to lose what little spark and color she had left, and Kanon was the only one that noticed, or showed that they cared.

Misaki still didn't trust this mysterious person, not by a long shot. She knew there was more to what this person said than they let on, and she hoped to get to the bottom of things. Why wouldn't they show their face? How come they're being cryptic on their full intentions? How'd they know about Hello Happy World, and why would they want Kokoro's help with getting robotic artillery? Could Misaki somehow use these against them, or at least, find a way to convince the others to turn against them? Misaki wanted to plan, but she wasn't in the mood to act any of it out. In fact, she didn't technically think when yelling and volunteering. But still, as long as Kanon's safe, things shouldn't be so bad.

Misaki glanced at something large in the distance that some other suitors were working on. However, she couldn't tell what it was, as it was covered by a big tarp.

"Um, might I ask what that thing over there is?"

"Oh, you'll see soon enough." They replied. "I think you'll like what we have planned for this. Huehehe~"

 _Wait, I know that voice._ "Ya-" Misaki's mind went blank, as a force struck her in the back, and she blacked out before she finished her sentence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, the crossing over part will happen soon. I promise~!
> 
> This is way slower-paced than I thought it'd be. I just didn't want to rush the crossing over bit and build things up. Hope you understand.
> 
> I also know you probably have some questions in regards to this chapter alone. Hopefully, I can answer them well ^^;  
> (Really hope I didn't write anyone too out of character or mess up some plot points :<)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't been updating in a while. I got busy with my real-life work and had to prioritize in balancing work and play. I did work on certain scenes in this story, but also had a bit of writer's block as well. Writing some of these scenes turned out to be harder than I thought.
> 
> Also, update: I saw both Guardians of the Galaxy movies and Infinity War (I cried ;w;)! Only one more to go and I'll have caught up with the Avengers movies (not necessarily all Marvel movies though).

Kanon sat by in one corner of the room. She hugged her knees against her chest and lowered her head. She couldn't believe any of this is happening. Kanon reached into her pocket and pulled out the phone. Her signal was dead, and she did not understand what to do or how to cope with the situation. Kanon knew the suitors were all busy working on Kokoro's next big project, and that the exit wasn't blocked anymore. She could just leave, but she also knew her sense of direction was garbage, and would have no idea how to get out. Misaki or Hagumi would normally be there to lead her around and take her to her destination, but neither of them were available at the moment.

Kanon watched as they did their best to attach and assign pieces of metal around Misaki's body without waking her up. It looked a lot more complicated than she gave credit for, and had a feeling she'd probably squirm if she were conscious while it was happening to her. Even though Misaki told her earlier, Kanon didn't have the heart to leave her friends behind in their time of need.

  
Kokoro paced around the room carefree, she had trouble containing her excitement and wonder. She had been cooped up for too long with nothing to do or barely anyone to talk to, so the idea for her to go out back to doing what she loves most is nothing short of thrilling for her. Sure, she had no idea what the entire plan was, but she didn't care either, which made it even more exciting. Kokoro stopped when she spotted Kanon in the corner, feeling nothing but forlorn.

 _That's strange, that's the opposite of smiling._ She slid over to check up on her.

"Kanon, hey, what's wrong?"

"Don't you see it Kokoro-chan? Why would you do this?"

"Huh? I thought it was obvious, to make everyone happy."

"But I'm not happy!" Kanon thundered, catching Kokoro off guard. Kanon was nearly out of breath when she shouted. She tried to steady her breathing and calm her trembling hands before speaking again. "Look all around you, do you see any of us smiling right now? Or do you not care how we feel?"

The suitors stopped with what they were doing and gasped, turning towards her and Kokoro. "Matsubara-san!" Even Maya was silent by that remark and tone. They glanced at Kokoro, wondering how she'll respond.

Her smile faded. "What do you mean? I thought you guys wanted to be a part of this. Did you want to go in first?"

"Kokoro-chan, you're not listening. I don't want to be a part of this, and neither did Misaki-chan."

"Why did she volunteer? And why don't you want to join us? Don't you see it? It'll be just like the good old days of Hello Happy World! Can you imagine how many people will be thrilled to see so many Michelles' performing all kinds of wondrous acts?"

Kanon nearly swallowed her breath, she couldn't believe what was happening. She turned to the figure behind the screen. "What did you do to Kokoro-chan and Misaki-chan?"

"Huehehe, I didn't do anything, they chose to do this themselves."

"But, what about Misaki-chan?"

"Okusawa-san needed to be in that state so she doesn't struggle or squirm. This procedure is going to definitely hurt, but it'll be beneficial in the long run."

"I know you're there, why are you hiding from us behind the screen? _Why are you doing this, Maya-chan?_ "

The voice was still a little offputting, but Kanon knew she'd recognize that laughter anywhere. Just knowing that made her calm down a little more, knowing it's a familiar face she's most likely talking to. Maya's a good friend of Kanon's and can be trusted, right?

"Eh?" The person squeaked. She paused to clear her throat before continuing. "Uh, I'm pretty sure you're confusing me for someone else."

"Fuee? B-but, she has that laugh, just like you."

"I do share that name, but I'm not technically the same Maya that you know, if that makes sense."

"What? I'm not sure I follow. That doesn't make any sense. Is this some kind of dream?"

"It's no dream Matsubara-san. Ah, by the way, I'm pretty busy on my end, and we aren't close to our goal, so I can't give you the details just yet!"

Kanon wasn't in the mental capacity to think straight either, nor could she have imagined how this was happening, especially all at once. She covered her face and whimpered.

"Don't cry Kanon, everything will work out for us." Kokoro insisted, twisted. "Soon, we'll have the entire world's frowns turned upside down, _including yours._ "

Kokoro had never talked in that way before, something's definitely wrong with her. But, Kanon considered herself to be so weak, how could she possibly convince her to get out of that trance? Misaki was normally the one to set her straight, the one to keep up with her outlandish demands, to talk her down to reality and have her suggest something more realistic. But this was taking it a step too far.

Kokoro's going overboard, and she may or may not realize it, and Misaki isn't in the state to do anything about it this time. What could Kanon do, all she does is get flustered or reluctantly go along with whatever she has to say? If not even Misaki can change her mind, what then, just wait for the potential outcome...? Will this even work? Kanon stayed silent for the rest of the procedure. Hopefully, she and Misaki can figure something out before it's too late.

.-.-.-.

Maya turned off the monitor and sighed. She pushed herself from the computer screen and got off her wheelie chair. She figured out why the plan didn't work before. Maya had to get the portal machine working around the same time as the suitors over there, they finished theirs earlier than she expected. She was still struggling to get some of the major parts working on her end, but she didn't want to admit it to Kokoro. The last thing she needed was to get her hopes up. Besides, there was nothing they could've done at the moment. It all rested on Maya trying to solve it herself, but she didn't have a lot of time on her hands.

Countless times, Maya had been searching for an answer to get back to her world, to be with her beloved. Countless times, she'd find nothing on the other side. She slammed her fist on the coffee table, silently cursing the one that brought her to this awful place. Ever since she was banished to this realm, away from _her_ , she'd been dead set on reuniting and getting back.

 _Mark my words, we will have our revenge. Starting with this world nobody will know what's coming to them._ Maya chewed on the end of the pencil, staring down at her notes and blueprints. There had to be a way to get the blasted thing to work. But how? It'd have to take another expert on this field, or at least, someone intelligent as hell, to figure out how to get it to work via its portal-hopping capabilities. Someone like... wait, who else could be in this world?

Maya walked over to her smaller computer and pulled something up. Videos, articles, and even documentaries that focused on certain aspects. Eventually, she scrolled down and spotted a familiar-looking tower, with a familiar group of individuals. One particular person caught her eye. A smile crept on her face.

_Perfect, he'll do nicely._

Maya ran over to grab a phone and earpiece before dialing a number. After a few rings, it clicked.

"Hello?"

"Ah, hey, sorry if I interrupted."

"Not a problem Maya, what's up? Did you get the device working finally?"

"Not quite, but I have an idea on how to get it done quicker."

"Ooh, what is it?"

"Hang on, let me send you some coordinates. I need your lackey to track down and keep an eye on someone."

"Eh? But Sayo isn't a lackey. She's just-"

"Yeah, that was a slip of the tongue, sorry. But do you think you could let her know?"

"Sure, not a problem. I'll let you know how it goes."

"Excellent, thank you Imai-san! Oh, and tell her not to kill him either. I'll let you in on the details later."

"Ok, are you sure this will work though?"

"Of course, huehehe~"

.-.-.-.

Marina received her coffee from the machine in the kitchen. She had already gotten used to the placements and locations in the rooms of the base of operations. She headed to the couch and blew on her coffee before taking a sip. Not much had happened today, just the usual work for her daily routine. But still, she looked down at her cup and sighed. Something about the atmosphere felt rather tense regardless, Marina hadn't seen any of the other Avengers, or anyone else for that matter. She figured there were out busy doing their work and didn't want to be a bother.

After a while, Maria Hill walked over, also with a drink in her hand. She joined Marina on the couch and stared at the ceiling.

"So, it's been a while since we last had a chat."

"Yeah, I can't the last time we spoke like this," Marina added.

"How has it been? Working under S.H.I.E.L.D. alongside us?"

"It's been quite an interesting experience. I didn't think I could get chosen to be a part of this, but I'm thankful for this opportunity." Marina chuckled lightly. "Everyone is so nice, determined, and cool in their field of expertise. I'm just not sure I can live up to that potential."

"You've only been here for about half a year, that's almost as much as these guys." Maria patted her on the shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. "Yet, you're still amazing at your craft, it's like you're a part of the team. Nick wouldn't have recruited you otherwise if he didn't believe in your capabilities."

"Aww, thanks so much. I'm glad to hear that I'm a useful part of the team!"

"I think so too, so don't worry about it, ok?"

Before Marina could answer, however, she could've sworn she felt something odd. The ground rumbled and lightly shook, the drink in her cup wobbled, but didn't fall, and the ceiling lights flicked on and off. She glanced at Maria, as she too noticed the sudden changes. The two exchanged worried looks, something wasn't right. They got up and hurried down the halls, hoping to find the source of the sporadic sounds and report them to Fury. As Maria ran over alongside another group of rushing individuals scattering around the rooms, Marina spotted a green glow from the corner of her eyes, underneath one of the doors. Before she could say anything, an explosion occurred from inside the room, the door flew off the hinges as she took cover and ducked under the flying object. What could be going on in there?

.-.-.-.

Bruce's head throbbed and pounded, like a bunch of weights were laying down and crushing his skull. Even with the glasses he had, his vision still grew blurry, as everything around him got dark. Bruce tried to move, but found his body and limbs constricted. He struggled to look down, but he found some form of goop wrapping itself around him up on the walls. He tried to break free from its grasp, but compared to the other guy, his muscles aren't anything to write home about, and is physically weaker, so the blows didn't do much, but get him more stuck. Wait, what happened to the other guy? Shouldn't the Hulk be coming out by this point? What happened? Bruce couldn't remember, but he didn't want to summon him, not now, not at a time like this. The green goop dripped and slowly fell to the floor, Bruce grit his teeth as he found himself slipping before falling on the floor.

He coughed and clutched his chest, his body shaking in fear. He massaged his temples as a strange sound rang through his ears from the other side of the lab. A shadowy blob figure continued to yell as its form took a larger and more solid form. Bruce scurried over to grab his glasses to inspect the creature in the corner, it almost looked familiar to him somehow. He went over to take a closer look, but a sharp pain hit him in the chest, stopping him in his place. Bruce writhed in pain as he watched the form stare him back. It roamed around and knocked a bunch of equipment and tables; Bruce opened his mouth to plead for it to stop, but the words wouldn't come out from his mouth. His throat tightened as sweat fell down his face. Why did this hurt so badly? Why couldn't Bruce remember what he was doing before that corresponded to this?

Before he knew it, the creature made a break for it, crashing through the walls, and leaving the scientist alone in the lab. Muffled yelling occurred from outside the walls as people scattered about and prepared for battle. Bruce struggled to get up off the floor and recollect what the hell happened prior to working in this lab.

"Bruce?" A voice called out from behind.

"What?" He found his body lifting up off the ground. He turned at Marina, helping him stand up as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Marina, what's happening? Where did-?"

"I don't know, but we need to get you out of here. It's not safe."

.-.-.-.

The two trudge along the halls as they try not to bump into any rushing people in the way. Tons of other individuals run around either hiding or trying to prepare for the upcoming threat at hand.

"Where... where are the other Avengers?" Bruce asked in a weak whisper.

"Ah, well, some of them are still out on their mission." Marina frowned. "I think Tony's back at his place? It'll take a while for him to get the notice though." She shook her head. "But don't worry, we'll handle this!" She took him to the medical room and placed him down on a table. "I'll get someone to check your wounds in a bit, just stay right where you are, ok?" She damped a washcloth and placed it on his head. He kept panting as his body continued to burn up.

"I..."

"Don't move a muscle, we'll have this sorted out in no time," Marina assured him as she trotted out of the room.

All Bruce could do at the moment was stare at the ceiling and blink to get his vision back. His brain scrambled as he tried to piece back the memories together. Let's see, he was working in the lab to work on something after having a nightmare that involved the Hulk... Wait, the Hulk.

_Oh shit._

The sounds of people shouting, stomping, and shoving continued to ring through his ears. It took every ounce of him to get off the table and trudge over to the exit. When he reached outside the health room, he looked around, wondering what was going on. In front of the horizon, Bruce spotted a giant hole gaping out the building, as well as a green figure rushing into the forest out on the horizons.

_Aw crap, this can't be happening. If I don't do something, who knows what these guys will do to him._

He pressed his back and moved his hands against the wall as he carefully made his way to the training room across the halls, making sure not to bump into or get caught by any superior. Fortunately for him, the halls were empty for the most part, as everyone else was more likely than not, at their battle stations outside. He had to hurry to the training room and put a stop to this before they could lay a hand on him. This was all his doing, his fault, and he had to make sure to fix the solution without any more problems.

Bruce entered the large and spacious training grounds and hurried to the back of the wall. Dragging his legs over there was no small feat, but his body kept screaming at him, as if on fire and yelling for him to stop, drop, and roll. Still, the back of his mind also kept telling him to keep pushing forward. He grit his teeth and reached the otherwise of the room. Bruce's mind grew a little more foggy by the minute, but he remembered the password for the control panel to activate the barrage of weapons and costumes for training purposes. Most of them items had already been taken earlier for preparation, however, one object in particular caught his eye, as he stared at it face to face.

_Hope Tony doesn't mind that I borrow this._

Bruce thought, he swallowed the lump in his throat as he approached it, step by step.

.-.-.-.

Over the horizons, a young woman stood on the mountains, observing the surroundings and scenery around her. Her aqua hair flowing in the wind as she surveyed the building in front of her. She stayed in position as she watched spotlights turn on near the base and heard muffled sounds of panic and screams from a distance. It didn't deter or faze her; she had a mission, and nothing would interrupt or stop her from completing it.

A ring came from her walkie talkie. The woman placed the earpiece close to her ear and pressed the button.

"Sayo, can you hear me?"

"Yes, I'm in position, Mistress."

"I thought I told you call me Lisa, not Mistress. Ah, whatever, it doesn't matter. Anyway, how's it going over there?"

"My apologies Lisa Imai. There seems to be chaos going down over there." Sayo squinted her eyes at the smoke, a giant Hulk buster armor chased after something large and green. "There, I see him, the target's in sight."

"Excellent work Sayo. Stay close and don't let anybody see you. Remember, we need to keep him alive."

"Understood."

"Hmm? You okay?"

"Are you sure we should do this? Do you really think Yamato-san will follow through with the plan?"

"Of course, I believe Maya won't let us down. Why do you ask? Should we not go through with it?"

"No, it's nothing, forget I said anything. I'll be on my way." Sayo hung up and stood tall, fire in her eyes. _It's time to do this, for her sake._

.-.-.-.

Marina found herself speed-walking past the rushing individuals, she didn't want to stall, waste time, or have anyone in her way. She didn't notice the white coming from her knuckles as her sight was still set forward. Marina reached the outside compost and met up with Maria and Nick. The duo examined the building and perimeters from outside and nearby. Marina glanced over and saw a giant gaping hole coming out from one of the walls to their base.

 _That's gonna take forever to clean up._ "What's the status update?"

"I don't know, something made a mess here and is now on the run." Maria checked her tracker radar. "It hasn't gotten too far. Despite collateral damage, nobody that we know of got hurt, oddly enough."

"That's a relief to hear, at least. Did you get any details on this figure? As in, who could've done this?"

"Well, we have one guess as to who it could be from."

_Oh no._

"Hills, do we have anyone that can operate the Hulkbuster?" Nick inquired, still keeping his cool.

"I'll check and see if Stark is available and awake."

"Good, we're going to need to detain the Hulk before he causes anymore panic."

"Half a year and still doing the same old shit."

 _Wait, something isn't right._ "Hold up, it can't have been, right?" Marina spoke up. "When the loud noises started, I saw an injured Bruce still in his lab. Even after more ruckus occurred, I left him in the medical room. There's no way it could've been him."

Marina raised an eyebrow. "But who else could've done it with that body shape and size? Unless you're telling me there's another Hulk out there?"

"Well, I don't know about that. But let's not jump to conclusions so-"

Another crash occurred from near the building, only this time, it came from the lower region, specifically, the garage and training regime. A giant robotic figure appeared out of the smoke and rubble, dashing out to follow the trail and footprints of the perpetrator.

"Hang on, I'm coming!" A voice cried out desperately.

The wind gushing and loud clanking ringing the group's ears got their attention, as they stood there and watched it disappear into the forest. At first, they wondered how the Hulkbuster is up and running so soon, and without authorization or confirmation from them. But, the trio put two and two together and things bizarrely connected.

 _That voice, I thought I..._ Marina placed a hand on her face and groaned. _Oh, Bruce, you idiot._

Nick inhaled and exhaled, he didn't raise his tone of voice, but still wasn't having it. "Hill, call Stark right away."

"On it sir."

"It appears that we're going to have another talk with Banner once all this is said and done. That includes you, Tsukushima."

Marina crossed her arms and puffed out a sigh. "I understand. I'll help in any way I can, sir."

.-.-.-.

Operating this Hulk buster proved to be a lot harder than Bruce thought it'd be, especially given the condition he's currently in. The movements were slow and clunky, it kept making noise with every step it took, making himself a bigger target. Even with its exceptional detection skills that could track things from far away and across its sides, his vision still grew blurry from the sudden incident at the lab earlier. Bruce continued to swallow the lumps in his throat, and blink to clear his vision, but even that proved to be a struggle. His throat may have been sore, and his head may have been throbbing, but he wasn't going to give up and let this green guy go off on his own. Even with his body growing progressively weaker by the second, this machine did make it easier for me to move around and sprint at least.

Bruce had to make sure not to run too fast that he'd hit any nearby trees, or move too slow and lose sight of what he thought was the Hulk, somehow separated from his own body. He also had to be weary of straying too far from the base, as the sun was setting low, and the surrounding area was getting dark. Pulling the tree branches out of his way also proved to be challenging, as well as stepping over stumps without jumping and causing the ground to shake to its core.

Once he got out of in the open woods away from the trees, he finally got to see the beast up close, or at least, the shadow of it. The muscular figure appeared to have a more round structure. Despite the different form, Bruce could still recognize its low growls, and those eyes piercing the darkness. Besides its appearance, which he couldn't make out clearly, something about the Hulk seemed off. It almost seemed like it was... terrified. Was it not used to being out of its host, scared of Baner, or something entirely?

Bruce's head was getting dizzy, he knew he had to make it quick, but also didn't want to scare the other guy away, not when the scientist had it in his sights. He shook his better judgment and fear away, if only for the time being.

"Hulk?" He finally spoke up through his raspy voice. "We need to talk."

The eyes in the shadows of the woods narrowed as the figure stepped back.

"Wait." Bruce insisted. "I'm not going to hurt you."

**"Liar."**

"What? No, I wouldn't lie-"

**"Banner hate Hulk, want to hurt him."**

"I'm not a fighter. Even if I was, I wouldn't bring myself to harm you."

**"Want to get rid of Hulk."**

"I..." He wasn't wrong, but this wasn't what he had in mind by 'getting rid of'. Bruce lowered his head, did he go too far and not consider his feelings either? "This isn't a safe place for you to be in." Bruce told him gently. "We don't need... to keep doing this anymore." He extended his arm out. "As long as we're on our best behavior... our friends here at the base can protect us... we can be safe..."

 **"No more hiding. Want to be free..."** As he said that, Bruce found that the Hulk was... shrinking? His form got smaller, but his voice was still the same.

Bruce stepped closer towards him. The other guy watched, but showed no signs of leaving the scene. "Listen, I... I know that feeling all too well. But, if you leave, there's a good chance that you-"

An arrow zipped through the trees, catching the duo off-guard, they jumped back and gasped, as it barely grazed through their bodies. The Hulk continued to growl as his size increased and his eyes changed color. Bruce nearly tripped over the sudden attack towards them. Who could be attacking them and why? The only person Bruce could think of that uses a bow and arrow was Clint. Wait a minute, didn't Natasha say he retired and was with his family? Upon further inspection, that arrow didn't look like anything Clint would use. Bruce quickly turned upon hearing tree leaves rustling in the wind. Someone else was _definitely_ here.

Bruce tried to scan and examine the mysterious figure from a distance with the Hulk Buster, but his vision was so blurry, he couldn't make out anything from the corner of his eyes, or right in front of him.

"Shit, I missed!" Sayo hissed, trying to stay balanced on top of it. "I didn't think this through. But I'm not giving up either!"

She got back into position, it didn't seem like they saw her clearly yet. She pulled back another arrow, aimed it, and fired it straight to the green guy's body. It barely grazed his shoulder, but he definitely took notice of her that time. 

The shadowy figure stepped out of the shadows, growing by the minute. Bruce couldn't believe what happened to its limbs and how much it looked like blobs of jelly instead of strong mass. He let out a roar, which in turn, caused the other figure from afar to let out a scream and nearly slip off the tree branch. Sayo grit her teeth as her knuckles turned white from clutching them too hard. She leaped off the branch and ran off into the moonlight, her aqua hair shining among the stars and flowing in the wind.

The Hulk let out another roar at the person, birds flew out from the trees and over the horizons. Just as he was about to charge at her, a zooming sound shot through the skies and crashed onto the green creature, causing another boom and dust to resonate around the area. Bruce had to use the Hulk buster to stand his ground as the dirt kept dragging on its legs. The dust cleared, and another Hulk buster stood on top of the 'real Hulk', with its foot on his back, and arm around his neck.

_T-Tony?!_

"Stand down," Tony threatened. "That's your only warning." Despite the appearance and struggles, it seemed like Tony had no problem holding him down.

"Stark, I'm detecting another force from across the woods." Another voice spoke through his suit.

"Friday, give me a scan on this individual."

"Understood."

Tony could spot her, but she was too far away to do anything about it. Sure, he could fire off blasters, but considering the area they were currently in, he'd just cause more harm than good. He turned to Bruce, who still stood there, all slack-jawed.

"Hey Banner, since you borrowed my prototype without asking, think you could help me out?"

"I..." His voice gave way, head felt doozy, as his body swayed back and forth. His mind was racing and his vision was blurring up fast.

"Banner?!"

"I'm... " He closed his eyes as he fell back and hit the ground, blacking out altogether.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got this one done! Man, writing some of those scenes was a lot tougher than I thought it'd be...
> 
> Apologies for the inconsistencies on calling Hulk 'it' and 'him', I don't really have an excuse for why I keep doing that per say. Originally, I had it be the way Bruce treats Hulk over the course of the story, but it got pretty ridiculous and for some reason, I didn't check and fix it. (That and I'm not that great at writing the 'other guy' either. I'm pretty new to writing The Avengers too, as the movies are still sort of fresh in my head, and it's only been about a month or two)
> 
> Also, sorry for the inconsistency on which side the story focuses on. I have showcased Bandori characters to interact and be a part of the Avengers' world, but I haven't given Kanon and Misaki as much screentime as I would've liked. I'm hoping to change that as the story progresses, but no promises.
> 
> I don't know when the next chapter will be up and running. I have a lot of other work projects I got to take care of (that and I need to balance my work and play schedule better). Sorry for the wait you guys :(


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got around to watching Endgame (Ahh, what an emotional rollercoaster, it was so good and I cried so hard ;u;), which means I finished all the Avenger's movies (not necessarily all movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe). So now, I have some clear level of understanding some of the characters here!
> 
> By the way, this chapter will focus more on Misaki and Kanon. I feel like I've been straying away from those two for a while, and I feel pretty bad about it. The first scene also takes place before the start of this story. The second scene continues the present story from the Bandori side (Yeah, just a heads up, there's only two scenes in this chapter). Take that how you will ^^;
> 
> Also, quick warning, there's one scene near the end which could correlate to and electric shock (it's kind of implied that it's either punishment for disobeying or struggling against the machines or doing something they weren't supposed to), it's more of a light shock than anything, nothing explicit or graphic, but still quite painful. If I need to change the scene or rating, let me know.

**Earlier...**

This was the big night, one of the biggest events of their lives. Hello Happy World were getting ready backstage as they awaited their signal to come over and perform for the final time. Everyone was excited over the prospect of making more people smile in fantastic and unique ways, after all, it wouldn't be fun if they didn't spice up the variety. This was their last performance, and ending it on less than a high note was unacceptable. While the suitors set the stage up and set up the effects and props, Kokoro talked about how wonderful it was to play with everyone again, and how couldn't wait to see the audience's reactions to the spectacle they'll show off today. Everyone else agreed with gusto, everyone except Misaki (or rather, Michelle), that is.

She sighed quietly, trying hard not to show her emotions behind the costume. Misaki had gotten sick of being a part of the band and wanted to bail at the first opportunity, but over time, grew to accept being a valuable member of Hello Happy World. However, now that she finally got the chance to leave the band and pursue her own dreams, guilt hit her hard. Misaki didn't want to admit it, but she grew to miss being a part of their world, interacting with her dumb bandmates, and going on crazy adventures.

While Kaoru, Hagumi, and Kokoro weren't looking, Misaki took the head off Michelle and stared at it. Seeing the spark that made her a part of the band and a place to belong along with her friends made it bittersweet, but nostalgic too.

 _It's been a while, so, we meet again Michelle..._ Another sigh escaped her lips. _I know I don't want to do this for the rest of my life, but I don't know what to do after this. No matter what, I can't seem to get you out of my head regardless. How can I find something for me to do if I'm constantly reminded of-?_

"Ah, Misaki-chan?" Kanon's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

Misaki nearly jolted and fell out of her seat. Her head snapped around to look at her.

"K-Kanon-san?"

"Sorry, was I bothering you? You looked pretty out of it for a moment. Although, I could be wrong..."

"No, not at all." Misaki chuckled softly. "I guess I _do_ have a lot on my mind right now."

"Do you by chance want to talk about it? It's not healthy to have negative thoughts, especially before a big show."

"Yeah, you're right." Misaki crossed her arms defensively. "I know this seems selfish, but I can't help it. You all have different part-time jobs and hobbies that could potentially make for a substantial career. Hagumi with her baseball, Kaoru with theater, even you work part-time at a fast food joint. As for me, well, I don't know where to go from here, if the band is no more."

"Misaki-chan, who says you can't continue making people smile, even after we go our separate ways? I may have a part-time job now, but that doesn't mean I'll rely on that for my whole life." Kanon placed her hands behind her back and smiled at her. "I have some ideas on what to do, like have a job where I can interact with ocean life, but it'll be a while before I can get there and decide for myself. So, you don't need to worry about that yet, it'll take some time, but you'll get where you need to be. I know Kokoro-chan would tell you the same thing."

"Kanon-san..." Misaki's eyes grew misty as she smiled back. "Thank you."

"Ehehe, you're welcome. Do you feel any better?"

"Yeah, I do."

Kanon was right. Sure, she didn't hate anybody in the band, but Misaki had to move on and expand her horizons. There's plenty of chances for her to get more opportunities in the future, and ways to help carry on Kokoro's legacy in some way, even after they all disband. Doing the things Kokoro could do was exhausting, but she admired the girl for her determination and eagerness to go about it every day. Misaki wasn't like her or Kanon though, as much as she sometimes wished she could be as strong and talented as them. No matter how many times she would get praise from her friends and colleagues, it still felt shocking for her to hear. Even more so, that Misaki became a part of the band's shenanigans for this long. Kokoro brought her into their world in the first place, and Kanon helped her survive their antics and cheer her up.

Kanon. She had been there for her since the very beginning. Supportive, understanding, patient, and always there to lend a hand or give advice. For the longest time, Misaki saw that as her only reason to stick around Hello Happy World, to protect and watch over her. Why was that though? Even she didn't understand it fully. Over time, they both became a little more independent, but still helpful to the team in their own ways, and still had each other's backs (that wasn't going to change anytime soon, was it?).

Her eyes widened as her face flushed with shades of pink. Misaki lifted the Michelle head to cover her face to hide the shame. How could she not realize it sooner? Sure, the band left a mark on her mind for a while, but there was something else that lingered and she couldn't stop thinking about. Something, or rather, someone.

"Eh? M-Misaki-chan, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm alright!"

"Guys, it's time for our show to start!" Kokoro chirped. "Everyone's ready, let's get out there and make some noise!"

Kanon giggled as the group prepared to head out. She turned to find Misaki quickly placing her band costume head back on.

"Alright, shall we get going?"

"Ah, Kanon-san?" Misaki called out, extending her arm. "Before that..."

"Hmm? What is it?"

The two paused as the faint crowd cheering echoed in the background.

"Misaki-chan...?"

"Um, never mind. Let's get the show on the road, shall we?"

"Yeah, let's do our best." 

_I'm probably just overthinking it anyway. I shouldn't let that or those other thoughts get in the way here. Now's not the time anyhow._

.-.-.-.

**Present**

_Ugh, where am I?_

Misaki's vision all around her got blurry. The details of her predicament were still fuzzy, as she couldn't remember much. Was it all a dream? Misaki hoped that whatever happened was a long string of nightmares and she woke up in her bed, with her friends waiting beside her, telling her how much they missed her and how long she had fell asleep for.

Misaki blinked a couple more times, her vision was clearing up more. In front of her looked to be the Tsurumaki mansion still, there were the Suits surrounding her and checking on her, like expected. Wait, where's everyone else? Misaki tried to turn, but her muscles strained as she had difficulty moving her limbs.

_Damn, my arms and legs must still be asleep._

She looked over and spotted Kanon, but something about her seemed different. The blue-haired girl was still hunched up beside the door, her eyes dry from crying.

"Kanon-san?" She tried to muster, her voice still raspy.

Kanon's head jerked up as she looked at Misaki in the eyes. She got up and ran over to her.

"Misaki-chan!"

The suits stepped in and held a hand in front of her. "Matsubara-san, please stand back." They warned her. "We need to make sure everything's safe."

 _Safe?_ "What are you talking about? I'm fine, I think..." Misaki said, weakly.

"I'm sorry Misaki-chan." Kanon twiddled her fingers and stared at the ground. "I... I failed you."

Misaki's face softened as her heart sank. She may have given Kanon a responsibility and task to do, but felt guilty that her friend assumed she let her down.

"It's alright Kanon-san... I'm sorry I put pressure on you by giving you an impossible task."

"Fuee? Please don't say that! It's not your fault."

_'Fault', huh?_

"Okusawa-san, how are you feeling?" The Suits asked. "Do you remember anything?"

"Like I said, I feel fine, just a little tired. Can't say I know much, however." Misaki shook her head, trying to recollect what happened prior to her falling asleep. That was what happened, right? "I could've sworn I saw a person before I blacked out, but can't say I remember."

"Please try to remain calm."

"Eh? Why-?"

She reached out, but her eyes widened upon finding a long arm in front of her. A lump formed around her throat as she attempted to swallow; the arm twisted and turned, much to her horror. Misaki's eyes shifted around and found holograph and screens appearing all around her.

"H-Huh? What's happening to me?"

"Relax, you've been in selected to participate in my little experiment!" A familiar voice rang through her ears; the laugh gave it away. She turned to find the figure behind the projection screen. Despite that, Misaki knew who it was now and narrowed her eyes at her. "How are you feeling Okusawa-san?"

 _It wasn't a nightmare after all. Then that means..._ "Yamato-san. What did you do to me?"

"Remember our agreement?" Maya reminded her. "We programmed you inside of our newly developed robot Michelle. We just need you to test out her capabilities." She turned to Kanon. "Told you it would be harmless."

 _What did they talk about while I was...?_ Still, she was right, Misaki couldn't feel anything during that whole process. Nothing poisonous seemed to be in her body, and it didn't look like she received any scars or marks on her body. "Why are you doing this again?"

"Like I said, you'll know soon enough. But first, I need you both to test out if these androids are safe and comfortable to operate."

"I can't believe you're making me move around like some puppet." Misaki froze. "Wait, did you just say...?" Her body tensed up. "You promised me that Kanon-san would be spared from your nonsense!"

"Ah, so you _do_ remember what happened beforehand?"

_Shit._

"Um, Misaki-chan, she's not referring to me," Kanon told her.

She and Misaki turned to find Kokoro's unconscious body being placed in another one of the Michelle drones. The suitors lowered their heads as their lips trembled, filled with regret, slowly removing the wires before carefully placing her inside.

"No way, Kokoro wanted to do this?" Misaki inquired. _Is she_ that _desperate for us to get together and do something?_ Her blood boiled as she turned to Maya. "You-!"

Electricity coursed through her veins as she held back a scream. Kanon stood back and covered her mouth, her eyes growing misty.

Light went through Maya's glasses as she glared at Misaki. "Listen here, I wouldn't try fighting back against us, Okusawa-san. That'll make things worse for you in the long run." Maya then smiled. "Don't worry, no harm will come to any of you, I can guarantee it. Just please cooperate with us and everything should go smoothly from here."

Misaki grit her teeth as Kanon clasped her hands. Misaki turned to Kanon and frowned.

 _Sorry Kanon-san, but you're wrong, this_ is _my fault._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter seemed or felt shorter compared to most (and not a lot progressed in the grand scheme of things... yet). I didn't want things to get too overloaded and complicated in one chapter. 
> 
> By the way, the first scene was originally going to go differently. But, I went back and re-read the second chapter of my fan fiction (the one that introduces Hello Happy World in a different light) and realized I almost broke my own continuity in the story! I can't believe I almost let that slip and made a noticeable pothole. I forgot that this takes place years after HHW had split up, and I didn't convey that part well in the flashback, so I had to re-write that part a bunch. (I had 'aged-up characters' as one of the tags, how did I not catch on to that?) It pays to look back on your earlier chapters of your story to work in your continuity and setup, let me tell you. It wasn't that hard, well, not as hard as I thought it'd be anyway. Whoops.
> 
> On a different note, we're [once again] going back to the Marvel side (along with other Bandori characters) in the next chapter! (I'm so bad at balancing the two sides of this story it seems and I still have so much story I want to tell. I hope to convey it well and make it enjoyable for myself and you guys as well) Stay tuned~


	6. Chapter 6

Steve and Natasha had returned from one of their espionage missions late at night, only to come back and find a part of HQ in shambles. As some folks worked to fix the building back to its shape, Tony explained to them the situation that went down while the duo were away.

"That sounded rough," Steve said, as he let out a sigh. "Wish we could've shown up sooner to help."

"Oh, no need to concern yourself over that," Tony replied. "I already took care of it while you weren't here."

"We had important business to do on our end though." Natasha reminded him, crossing her arms.

"I know, I didn't ask though."

"That may be, but your tone said otherwise."

"That's fine." Tony held his hands up. "I'm just saying that I'm the only one that can do anything around here while you're still okay with being ordered around by these clowns."

"And who said we were?" Steve asked. Tony's brows narrowed at the question. "Look, I appreciate you looking out and helping while we had business to take care of, but might I ask what you were doing beforehand Shield called you over?"

"Besides getting my beauty sleep? Coming up with plans for my next big project? Shall I go on your highness?"

Steve held out his hand and shook his head, as if to say, "No, there's no need."

Natasha looked around as her brows furrowed. "I hope they're okay..." She murmured.

Tony caught wind of this and placed a hand on his chest, pretending to be moved. "Why Red, I'm surprised you're showing such concern over my wellbeing."

"I wasn't talking about you for the record. I know you're perfectly fine..."

"You wound me, I could've gotten hurt from that battle."

"You didn't necessarily fight though." Steve pointed out. "Not to mention, you were in your suit, an arrow wasn't even going to scratch it."

"You never know what that arrow could've been made out of. Besides, do you how many paint jobs that baby's gone through?"

"That's beside the point." Steve cocked his head and raised an eyebrow. "Wait, does Shield know about this information you picked up?"

"Not yet. Oh, that reminds me, I probably _should_ brief them on how other stuff went down before I get scolded for withholding information." Tony turned on his heel and headed off in the opposite direction.

Steve raised his arm out. "Wait, Stark, I-"

"If you're wondering, the big guy's downstairs, Banner's separated from him in the infirmary."

"Crap, I better make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

"It's Tony we're talking about." Natasha lightly shrugged. "You know how he is."

"Yeah, and that's what I'm worried about." Steve jogged off to where Tony was. "Have a good night!" He called out without looking back, but waving his hand.

Natasha waved back before walking back to the elevator. She reached the button layout and stopped, looking at the reflection from the glass.

 _Separated? So, he_ wasn't _pulling our legs there?_ She clenched her palm and bit her lip. This was going to bother her all throughout the night unless... she walked in the elevator and pressed the button, prompting it to go down. _Might as well check up on him real quick._

.-.-.-.

The glass elevator moved down inside an underground chamber. Soon, it came to a complete stop. As Natasha got out and walked around, she couldn't help but feel wary of this location. She didn't recognize it before, was this recently built, or had they already had a room like this and she wasn't aware of it?

From the outset, the lights were sparse and dimly lit, against the walls, stood lines of containers separated from one another. The humidity in the air was also strong, as the atmosphere made it walking around seem heavier than it appeared on the surface. Or was it just her? Most of the containment chambers had doors opened, but she spotted one with a lock shut tight, along with a few dents on the side, but no sustainable damage was present. Natasha walked over toward it, beyond the darkness, disdainful eyes looked down on her.

"Hey, big guy," Natasha whispered, placing a hand on the glass. "Do you remember me?"

 **"Yeah."** The voice replied, slowly reaching their hand out to touch the glass from the other side. **"Hulk always remember, good and bad people."**

"Do you... consider me a good person?"

The green guy shook his head. **"Hulk doesn't know."**

Natasha chuckled sadly. "Can't say I blame you." Her hand slipped off the glass. "Although, if you ask me, I'm far from a good person." She turned away from him, her head lowered. "If only you knew, you'd want nothing to do with me."

**"Not so different from Hulk then. People give you trouble?"**

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. I can't necessarily leave either, I'm basically stuck in this life."

**"Even though you didn't want it?"**

Natasha said nothing, but nodded and bit her lip, trying to maintain her composure. She didn't choose this life, neither did Bruce or the Hulk for that matter. But they had to do what it took to survive, even if it meant being alone, managing their inner demons, trying to stay strong in spite of everything thrown at them, even when being on watch from the government. To make sure nobody gets hurt and does what they're told, all because of what they were born with, and the decisions that led them on this path. Because of the life they had to endure and the hardships they had to take.

Sure, the situation was different, she worked under their watchful eye; he ran from them. Both out of fear, that they needed to be strong and level-headed, and not let the world get to them. Not to show weakness or risk getting killed, tortured, or worse. Natasha still had this feeling she knew what that was like in a way, even though it was different. Remembering the files she read about them, there was a sense of empathy and sympathy she had towards them, but wasn't sure when it started to occur. Was it before they met? After they started to get to know each other? Before he...?

No, Natasha shook her head, she needed to stop thinking about that. He was back, they were _both_ back, things should be fine now, back to normal, right? But why does it feel like things are different, besides the two being separated now?

**"You ok?"**

"I should be asking you that." Natasha wiped the mist from her eyes and turned back to him. "I heard about what happened. How are you holding up? I'm sorry you're here, are you hurt?"

Hulk shook his head. **"Not hurt, but scared."** His form shrunk as he hid in a corner. **"Don't know what will happen..."**

Natasha walked back to the container to check up on him and his strange new form. "Hey, it's going to be ok. You may be in here for the time being, but you're safe. Ross and those guys won't take you away to experiment or kill you. I can promise you that."

 **"Huh."** Hulk looked away. **"Banner said something similar..."** He murmured.

"Hmm? What about Bruce?"

**"Nothing."**

Natasha let out a small and comforting smile. The green fellow glanced at her and couldn't help but feel a little hopeful, even though he doesn't know much about her. From what he's seen from her, the lady doesn't seem to be a person with malicious intent, and one who doesn't seem him as a monster, but as someone to rely on. It reminded him of someone he knew long ago. If only his other half would see the same way as her.

"Natasha?" A familiar voice called out to her, snapping the woman and Hulk out of their thoughts. "What are you doing here?"

She got up and turned around to find Marina walking towards them with a lantern in her hand.

"Marina?"

"Yep, the one and only, don't wear it out~" Marina replied with a wink. "I thought I heard some talking around here. I couldn't find you either, and I wanted to say 'hi' before you went to bed."

"I appreciate it." Natasha's smile faded. "Hey, do you know what went down while Steve and I were away on a mission?"

Marina sighed and crossed her arms. "I had a feeling you'd be suspicious, since the Hulk is in there for the time being." She mentioned what Tony already told her from before. "I recently checked on Bruce, he's still asleep."

_So, it's true. But he hasn't woken up yet?_

"As for his green... acquaintance, the counselors at Shield are still undecided on what to do with him."

"Wait, what?"

"Don't worry, I'm sure they won't do anything to harm the gentle giant."

"What makes you so sure?"

"I wish I could help and give out a say in all this, but I'm a lower rank member of the workforce. Not to mention, I recently got in trouble for reasons I don't want to get into."

Hulk squirmed and tried to hide his whines. Marina joined Natasha by the entrance and bent down.

"Don't worry," Natasha assured him. "I promise you, no matter what, I won't let them hurt you or get their hands on you."

"No need to fret," Marina added. "We'll do what we can to protect you and make sure no harm comes to you."

Hulk calmed down and curled up into a fetal position. His new round form made him look like a beanbag of sorts. Marina and Natasha were caught off-guard by this. It was going to take a while to get used to this new change, however, it happened.

"See? I don't mean to jinx it, but you're in good hands." Marina told them. "I'll see what I can do~"

 _Now the problem is, what_ do _we do about this situation? Or is that on hold until Banner-san wakes up?_

"Marina?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I got to say, contrary to what I heard from the higher-ups, Hulk doesn't seem so bad. I've also noticed you guys seem to have an understanding with one another. Is that also with Bruce by chance?"

Natasha looked away, attempting to hide her now red ears behind her hair. Why did she feel like this all of a sudden?

"Oh, was I mistaken by chance?" Marina inquired.

"It's not like that at all. We're close, but we're also allies, and I don't want anything bad to happen to them, not after everything they've been through."

"Ah, I see. That's perfectly understandable. I'm sure they're relieved you're here on the team to straighten things out." Natasha couldn't help but smile at that, but she didn't say anything in response.

She never thought about it like that before. She, too, wanted to be helpful for the team without being a hindrance to anyone involved, but did her best to hide it from others. It didn't always work out well as intended, as some of her allies already know about it, but respect her wishes enough to stay by her side and not cause trouble for her or the missions she takes. Natasha didn't want to think about how different her life would've been had she not been a part of this team, and met new and old companions along the way, and for that, she was grateful for it.

.-.-.-.

Tony made his way into one of the mainframe rooms where most of the damage had taken place some nights ago. Sure enough, there was Nick, standing in the middle of the room, monitoring everyone, making sure they're doing their jobs well.

"Ah, there you are, we need to talk." Tony greeted with a small wave.

"I'm all ears," Nick said, without looking at him. "But make it quick, I'm a busy man."

"I picked up some data on this mysterious figure that may have been tracking our place the other night. I haven't heard anything since then, when are we going to investigate and find out what they're up to?"

"Not for some time."

Tony paused. "Excuse me?"

"Stark, as you can clearly see, we're still in the middle of fixing this place up after what your friend did. On top of that, we now have another mouth to feed and look after."

"How do we even know if it was Banner's fault here? He couldn't have predicted that! Can't you take a break? The jolly green giant isn't going anywhere!"

"Stark-"

"This is serious, we have a potential threat out there, and you'd rather not take the initiative?"

Nick turned to face him. "Until we know for certain what it is they're up to, we can't take the risk. It's not our call."

"And what am I supposed to do while waiting? Sit around and expect you to figure this shit out?"

"Do _not_ talk back to your superiors!"

"For the record, I don't take orders from _you_. I'm not your puppet to play with."

" _Really?_ For all intents and purposes, you could've ignored our distress signal."

"I'm _not_ abandoning my friends and teammates! You know that, right?"

"I know, but you should also know that we have a bunch of other stuff we're worried about right now."

"More than our friend?"

"Banner's healing, he'll be fine."

"How can we be sure? He hasn't woken up since then."

Steve walked in just in time, only to find the two in an argument. Regardless, he hurried over to break up the fight. "Stark, take it easy, let's not get into any trouble here." He told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Look, I know the situation's gone dire, but we can't let stress consume us. Let's let them handle this, ok?"

Tony narrowed his eyes at him. "You know Cap, it's sad; I was almost starting to respect you for a brief moment."

"Well, color me surprised I managed to get that reaction out of you."

"Are you two done with your odd couple routine?" Nick inquired. "If you don't any other business here..."

"Not at all," Steve told him. "We'll be on our way." He placed a hand on Tony's back and led him out of the room, much to the latter's disdain.

"What was that all about?" Tony hissed at him, once they got out of range for Nick and the others to hear.

"Look, I don't want to get on their bad side here, but I agree with you," Steve whispered back. "I had to pull you away before things got bad. You're right though, we need to take care of this as soon as possible."

Tony paused, raising an eyebrow. "Well, I'm glad to know you agree with my genius deductions for once. Now then, let's get started. The sooner we prepare, the better, we won't how long they'll suit up and try to strike us down. We can't take any chances, not when our friends are on the line."

.-.-.-.

Lisa sat comfortably on top of a building, taking in the fresh air and the wondrous sights of the buildings, cars, and people around her. She missed this lively sensation, especially when with her dear friends. Things were different now, as they had always been. She struggled to contemplate whether or not this was the right call, going to all of these extremes. But, if it could get everything resolved and bring her back without conflict, then it would all be worth it. Lisa tried to put on an enormous smile to hide her sad eyes to no one as she stared at the sky.

Footsteps echoed behind her, but she didn't even need to turn around to know who that is.

"So, how'd it go?"

"It went well for the most part." Sayo walked over and sat on the edge alongside Lisa. She crossed her arms and let out a sigh as she explained the situation at hand.

"Phew, that was a close call."

"I know, but looking back, it was a poor call on my part," Sayo admitted, lowering her head. "It wasn't a part of the plan. I acted on impulse, it's not like me at all."

"But you didn't die, and there's a possibility for the team to have a fallout now," Lisa assured her. "Not to mention, you _also_ kept an eye on our target without resorting to murder." She reached out for Sayo and gave her a gentle touch. "I'm positive it'll all work out in the end, just you watch."

Sayo bit her lip before turning towards her. "Do you really think this convoluted plan will work? What if it doesn't?"

"Well, what else do we have left to lose?"

"I see your point, but I have no answer."

"That's alright. We did all we can for now. All that's left to do is wait for her."

"Lisa, maybe we should head back inside? Someone could spot us from up here if we stay for too long."

"Yeah, that's true. Alright then, care to join me?"

"I would have it no other way." The duo held hands as they stepped off and walked back to the entrance.

Sayo knew the stakes made into continuing this path. But, she still stood by her beliefs, for her sake. She'd do anything to help Lisa, her Majesty, after what she's done for her in the past, and given her a place to belong. Lisa also grew more determined, but also desperate. She'd do whatever it took to go back to her home, her kingdom, her people, and her other friends. Neither of them expected to get transported away from everything they held dear, but they weren't going to falter anymore, they'll make it back. No matter what, they'll both find a way.

_Yamato-san, if you double-cross us and break her heart, I'll never forgive you._

.-.-.-.

Maya adjusted her glasses as she stared at the big screen in front of her. She continued to tap and move her fingers along the control pad, not caring about the burning sensation and cramps the faster and more she kept going. Maya squinted her eyes, her vision had gotten blurry, trying to figure out how to get the program working. She had to bring her beloved back, no matter the cost or sacrifice. She grit her teeth and bit her fingernail, this was taking longer and harder than she anticipated, and it got under her skin. What was she doing wrong?

Just then, Maya received a call from someone. She placed a finger on the earpiece and listened in on what she had to say. After hearing about the progress, a grin crept up on her face. Things were all going according to plan, they had no idea, and didn't seem to question it either. That's the way she likes it, the mysteries and wonders are better left up in the air, after all, that's what she thought anyway. That was when she thought up an idea, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a phone to dial someone. She sat on her wheelie chair and slid over to her laptop. Activating some websites and working on the keyboard, Maya wasted no time getting to work on her next step.

"Uehara-san, think you could do me a solid and help me with some advertisement?"

A lady with pink hair in pigtails and a lab coat called from the other side of the screen and saluted.

"Yes, yes! Himari Uehara, reporting for duty!"

"Ah, there you are, thanks for the assistance again, by the way."

"Of course, I'd do anything to help out! Plus, this is kinda my specialty." Himari placed her hands on her hips and took a sip of her coffee. "So, what do you need assistance on again?"

"You're all about social media, I need you to make something eye-catching that'll attract the attention of a certain scientist over on the Avenger's compound."

Himari gasped. "You mean we're bringing _the_ Tony Stark _here?_ " She tried to contain herself from squealing. "I can't wait to meet him! I wonder what could get his attention though..." She sighed dreamily. "He's so cool~"

Maya chuckled sadly. "Actually, I was planning on garnering the attention of the _other_ scientist, Banner-san."

"Eh?" Himari's smile faded soon after hearing that. "Why him? Well, I mean, they're both scientists sure, but why do we have to bring boring Banner into this?"

"Well, the thing is, I've already done some research," Maya explained, adjusting her glasses. "Apparently Stark-san still has PTSD from a portal incident based on that attack in New York City, and our machine involves around a portal." She shook her head. "I don't think he'd want anything to do with this, so I'd rather not risk it."

"Alright, fair point. But won't it be difficult to convince _him_ though?"

"No need to worry, I'm positive he'll get here soon enough! Oh, but we can't dillydally, let's focus on this as soon as possible!"

"You got it! Just leave it to me~"

"Perfect! Thank you very much, huehehe~"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you know, a chapter that doesn't have Bruce or Misaki for once. There were so many different scenes and characters to keep track of this time around (including a new one, might not be the last new character either). Things are still progressing forward and are getting into... interesting directions to say the least.
> 
> When I first starting writing this story, I wasn't expecting it to go on for this long, and I didn't think it'd develop into these extremes. I'm only in six chapters (so far) too! I can't wait to see where it further develops from here, hope you are too~

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, this was a lot slower-paced than I thought, and look how long it ended up being for a first chapter!
> 
> Hopefully, things will pick up soon. I'll try not to make them too long next time, but no promises.
> 
> The BanG Dream portion of the story will start to show in the next chapter. I'm thinking of going back and forth with these until they eventually coincide and meet up, but we shall see.


End file.
